JACKSON, MISS– All of this week’s stories conveniently in one place.
Corruption in the State Department of Corrections.. You’ve been following the bribery and kickback scheme of former Mississippi prison boss Christopher Epps… he and Brandon businessman Cecil McCrory pleaded guilty to those charges, but sentencing keeps being delayed… this week, more indictments came down as Jackson Doctor Carl Reddix faced the judge, pleading not guilty to conspiracy and bribery charges.. according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Reddix made montly payments of roughly 9 grand to secure a $29 million dollar contract that would have his company, Health Assurance, providing healthcare to prisons around the state.
The Republican National Convention was held this week in Cleveland Ohio.. Donald Trump was named the official nominee, but some of your Mississippi lawmakers walked away with new titles as well Governor Phil Bryant is now heading up the Trump campaign in Mississippi… and he’s asked State Treasurer Lynn Fitch to pull together a band of women for the campaign. Governor Bryant says he and other governors around the country were recruited by the Trump party to get the word out before November.
And the word is getting out with Donald Trump Jr. himself paying a visit to the Neshoba county fair Tuesday, July 26th. Now Trump Jr. won’t be making a speech in the famous Founder’s Square.. instead, he’ll be meandering through the crowd, recruiting voters to elect his father for President. The Neshoba county fair is a political center stage for the state… Ronald Regan spoke there during his campaign in the 80’s, and most all elected statewide officials have spoken there during election years.
Speaking of state lawmakers… this past legislative session was interesting enough with filibusters, controversial rules, laws passed and then blocked… but by and far the case that has stood the test of time is that of the Demon Chipmunk…
The state house Bill reading machine was dialed up to full speed during the filibuster over the Jackson airport back in March to keep the flow going. Speaker Gunn had the control to that one.. and now Rep. Jay Hughes is fighting Gunn in court to determine whether or not the Supreme Court can tell Gunn how to conduct business on the floor. Hughes’s attorney says by having the machine dialed up, folks couldn’t hear the bills, and therefore that violates their rights to know what they’re voting for. The Supreme Court has had to look at this case, and we’ve got more details on the News Mississippi app.
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