Mississippi Business Journal » lawmaker

Board to ask lawmakers for additional $30M for 2015 budget

Associated Press — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:40:46 +0000

JACKSON — The College Board will seek roughly $30 million more in state money in the 2015 budget year. The board members voted today to ask the Legislature for the money for Mississippi’s eight public universities. Though the 2014 budget year doesn’t begin until July 1, state agencies begin planning requests for the following year [...]

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Authorities: Suspect in ricin-laced letters case appeared to try to run

Associated Press — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:39:48 +0000

TUPELO — Newly released documents say the man suspected of sending poison-laced letters to President Obama and others appeared to try to evade authorities just days before his arrest. James Everett Dutschke of Tupelo was charged April 27 with making ricin, the substance mailed to Obama, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and Lee County judge Sadie [...]

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Senator claims Obama has cost TVA hundreds of millions of dollars

Associated Press — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:42 +0000

NORTH MISSISSIPPI — Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) says President Barack Obama’s plan to consider selling the Tennessee Valley Authority has already cost hundreds of millions of dollars — even if the nation’s largest public utility is never sold. The Tennessee Republican said TVA bonds lost about $500 million in value after the president’s announcement last [...]

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Bill amendment aimed at giving state say in La. levee project

MBJ Staff — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:51:35 +0000

SOUTH MISSISSIPPI — The U.S. Senate has accepted an amendment authored by U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) aimed at giving Mississippi a role in a proposed levee project that could result in new flood threats to the Mississippi Gulf Coast if not carefully studied with input from affected parties. The Cochran amendment was incorporated into [...]

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Senator: Is federal bioenergy program undercutting foresters?

MBJ Staff — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:30:33 +0000

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) is questioning whether a U.S. Department of Agriculture bio-based marketing program amounts to a bias against traditional forest products and whether such policies are fair. Cochran broached the topic at a Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee hearing to review the FY2014 budget request for the USDA. The USDA BioPreferred [...]

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Biotech group sends letter to Cochran urging mandatory funding

MBJ Staff — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:52:13 +0000

AROUND MISSISSIPPI — A group of Mississippi biotechnology companies and state associations have written Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), urging him to support mandatory funding for renewable energy programs in a new Farm Bill. Elevance Renewable Sciences of Natchez and DuPont Corporation, which has operations in Pass Christian and Pascagoula, sent the letter along with supporters [...]

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Senator introduces amendments in wake of La. levee flak

MBJ Staff — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:51:10 +0000

SOUTH MISSISSIPPI — U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) has introduced a series of amendments intended to ensure the safety of Mississippians from flooding or storm surge threats that might result from a new flood control proposal for Louisiana. To various degrees, the three Cochran amendments to the Water Resources Development Act of 2013 (S.601 or [...]

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Police no longer shadowing Wicker due to ricin letter

Associated Press — Sun, 05 May 2013 18:45:27 +0000

TUPELO — The security team of Capitol Police assigned U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker is no longer keeping tabs on him outside his Tupelo home or when he travels. The security was ordered for the Mississippi Republican after a letter containing ricin and addressed to his office was intercepted. Wicker told a Tupelo civic club Friday [...]

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House race lures four Coast candidates — for now

Associated Press — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:54:53 +0000

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST — It looks like there’s going to be a four-candidate race May 28 for the state House of Representatives District 95 seat. The deadline to qualify for the special election to fill the seat held by the late Rep. Jessica Upshaw was yesterday, a state holiday. A spokeswoman with the Secretary of [...]

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Senator quizzes NASA administrator about test stand

MBJ Staff — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:31:01 +0000

HANCOCK COUNTY – U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) wants NASA Administrator Charles Bolden to continue providing Congress information that will help ensure the upgrade of the Stennis Space Center’s B-2 test stand remains on schedule. Cochran addressed the NASA budget at a Senate Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee hearing where Bolden provided testimony on [...]

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