Mississippi Business Journal » legislative

Undersecretary: ‘I understand the frustration’ over catfish inspections

Associated Press — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:03:55 +0000

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) has received word that the U.S. Department of Agriculture could complete a final rule for implementing a catfish inspection program by this October, Cochran reports in a release. Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, USDA undersecretary for food safety, today told Cochran the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) is committed [...]

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Brown would make history if confirmed as judge

Associated Press — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:08:02 +0000

JACKSON — President Barack Obama has nominated attorney Debra M. Brown to be a U.S. District judge for northern Mississippi. If confirmed, Brown would be the first African-American woman to serve as a federal district judge in the state, said a spokesman for U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.). “I congratulate Debra Brown on her historic [...]

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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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Budget writer: Medicaid taking away from education funding

Associated Press — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:58:17 +0000

JACKSON — Funding for education is falling short because Medicaid is devouring a larger share of state money than it did a few years ago, a top Mississippi budget writer says in a letter to teachers and school administrators. House Appropriations Committee chairman Herb Frierson, R-Poplarville, wrote that expanding Medicaid would create more uncertainty about [...]

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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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Dems crafting Medicaid proposal ahead of possible special session

Associated Press — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:40:15 +0000

JACKSON — Mississippi legislative Democrats say they’re working on proposals to keep Medicaid alive and funded in the budget year that starts July 1. They say they’re doing this in case Republican Gov. Phil Bryant calls a special session before the end of June. However, Bryant said last week he believes he can run Medicaid [...]

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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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PEER reviews wildlife programs, makes recommendations

MBJ Staff — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:11:04 +0000

JACKSON — Questions have arisen over the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks’ management of selected wild game in Mississippi (i.e., the waterfowl, turkey and deer management programs), according to the PEER Committee. Also, some citizens have questioned the expanded use of privately owned pens for deer management and whether the use of such [...]

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