The Other Side: Mississippi Today’s Political Podcast

James Carville says Democrats lost in 2024 but, "We played our seventh-string quarterback and still only lost by a point-and-a-half." He said a serious Democratic challenger (and he has a particular one in mind) could provide an upset in Mississippi's U.S. Senate race. Carville, who has for years had a home on the Mississippi Coast, explains his long-running ties to the Magnolia State.

Sen. Daniel Sparks, a Republican from Belmont, says the Legislature in the 1990s wrote a blank check for the state public employee retirement system and the bill is coming due now.   

Pettus shares a few war stories with Bobby Harrison and Geoff Pender, including her dealings with the irascible former Gov. Kirk Fordice.   

State Economist Corey Miller talks with Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender and Bobby Harrison about the state of the state economy, chances of recession amid trade war, federal spending cuts and state tax overhaul. He declines to answer questions about MSU baseball.

With Mississippi's lack of laws and transparency, citizens are often in the dark about special-interest spending to influence politicians. Mississippi Today's politics team discusses its recent article shedding light on efforts by DraftKings and others lobbying for legalized online sports betting, including the speaker of the House and his staff being treated to the Super Bowl game this year.

Mississippi House Minority Leader Robert Johnson discusses the 2025 legislative session that was derailed by Republican infighting with Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender and Bobby Harrison, and outlines issues he'd like to see addressed in a pending special session.

Cecil Brown, who previously served as a key member of the state House, talks with Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison, Taylor Vance and Michael Goldberg about budget battles, past and present, and about the importance of the state budget. He also gives his thoughts on the tax bill passed during the 2025 session.   

Mississippi Today's political team unpacks the just ended -- for now -- legislative session, that crashed at the end with GOP lawmakers unable to pass a budget after much infighting among Republican leaders. The crowning achievement of the session, a tax overhaul bill, was passed by accident and full of major errors and omissions.

Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson gives Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender and Michael Goldberg an update on the challenges facing Mississippi farmers, including the burgeoning trade war with countries that buy our chicken, soybeans, cotton and other products as well as rising costs and immigration/labor issues. Gipson, a man of many hats besides his trademark cowboy one, also discusses his recording an album! "I'll sing at the drop of a hat, even if I drop it myself," Gipson said.

Rep. Dana McLean, R-Columbus, joins Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison and Sophia Paffenroth to explain the importance of passing her legislation during the 2025 session to ensure local emergency rooms use rape kits in a timely manner.

Senate Finance Chairman Josh Harkins gives an update on where negotiations stand on tax overhaul proposals in the Mississippi Legislature, and his thoughts on the differing Senate and House proposals that would include cutting or eliminating the personal income tax and raising taxes on gasoline.

Mississippi Today's politics team outlines some challenges lawmakers face in the final month of their session, from uncertainty of the effects the Trump administration moves will have on the state level. They also discuss what lived and died with last week's deadline for committee passage.

Dr. Randy McCoy, a retired longtime public school superintendent and member of the state employee retirement system board, says a plan passed by the Senate aimed at financially stabilizing PERS would cause long-term problems in hiring and retaining teachers and other state employees. He says the system can be shored up with less drastic reductions in benefits for future employees. 

Senate Elections Chairman Jeremy England defends his early voting bill, for which his fellow Republican Gov. Tate Reeves slammed him on social media. England said it's time Mississippi join 47 other states in allowing the convenience of early voting, and the issue should not be partisan.

Rep. Kevin Felsher of Biloxi discusses the bill he authored, and the House passed unanimously, to provide eight weeks of paid maternity or adoption leave, two weeks for fathers/secondary caregivers for state employees. 

Mississippi Today's health team outlines the major health care issues the Mississippi Legislature is dealing with in the 2025 session.

State Rep. Zakiya Summers discusses with Mississippi Today's Anna Wolfe, Maya Miller and Geoff Pender some of the issues the Capitol city of Jackson and the Metro Area face, and legislative priorities to deal with them.

House Education Chairman Rob Roberson, a Republican from Starkville, outlines for Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender and Michael Goldberg some of the top issues his committee will tackle this legislative session.

Mississippi Department of Transportation Director Brad White tells Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender and Taylor Vance he's staying "in his lane" and out of the politics of a House tax overhaul that would eliminate the income tax and raise sales and gasoline taxes, but that he's pleased lawmakers are trying to address the longrunning need for a steady new stream of money to help cover highway maintenance needs.

Sen. Dean Kirby, second ranking leader of the state Senate, says many of the issues Mississippi lawmakers will be tackling this year are recurring ones: tax cuts, education funding, Medicaid expansion, and issues with the Public Employees Retirement System. He's also helping lead court mandated redistricting that will likely result in do-over elections later this year for numerous lawmakers.

The Mississippi Today politics team, including its two newest members, Simeon Gates and Michael Goldberg, outline the major issues lawmakers face as the 2025 legislative session begins this week.

Former Auditor Steve Patterson joins Mississippi Today's Adam Ganucheau, Bobby Harrison and Geoff Pender to discuss a government waste study he conducted in the 1990s. Patterson draws contrasts between his 1990s study, which was legally authorized by the Legislature, and a highly scrutinized 2024 study from current Auditor Shad White, who did not get legislative authorization before spending $2 million.

Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison talks with Ray Higgins, executive director of the Mississippi Public Employees Retirement System, about proposed changes in pension benefits for future employees and what is needed to protect the system for current employees and retirees. Higgins also stresses the importance of the massive system to the Mississippi economy.

Mississippi Today's Adam Ganucheau, Bobby Harrison and Geoff Pender recap a wild situation in which three prominent Republicans with 2027 gubernatorial ambitions — Attorney General Lynn Fitch, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and Auditor Shad White — are engaged in an intra-party food fight.

Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison and Geoff Pender talk with former state Rep. Steve Holland about the bizarre case of a Tupelo martial arts instructor mailing ricin to elected officials and attempting to frame an Elvis Presley impersonator for the crime. The episode is now the subject of a Netflix documentary entitled “The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga,” which premiers Wednesday. The documentary features details from Holland, whose mother, the late Justice Court Judge Sadie Holland, received the letters, along with former President Barack Obama and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker.

Nancy Loome, director of the public education advocacy group The Parents Campaign, outlines major issues for the Mississippi Legislature's 2025 session to Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender, Bobby Harrison and the newest member of the politics team, Simeon Gates, who will be covering education issues at the Capitol.

Richard Roberson, president and CEO of the Mississippi Hospital Association, tells Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison and Geoff Pender a new Trump administration would likely approve Mississippi Medicaid expansion work requirements. He says revamping the state's certificate of need laws is likely to be a major issue before lawmakers, and he discusses a new alliance of hospitals that left the MHA and formed a new organization.

Voters will choose between Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Jim Kitchens and state Sen. Jenifer Branning in a runoff election on Nov. 26, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Mississippi Today's Adam Ganucheau, Bobby Harrison, and Taylor Vance break down the race and discuss why the election is so important for the future of the court and policy in Mississippi.

Mississippi Today's Taylor Vance and Bobby Harrison interview Central District Supreme Court Justice Jim Kitchens about his Nov. 26 runoff election. Kitchens is being challenged by state Sen. Jenifer Branning, R-Philadelphia. (Note: Mississippi Today also has extended an invitation to Branning to appear on “The Other Side” podcast.)          

Secretary of State Michael Watson talks with Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender, Bobby Harrison and Taylor Vance ahead of Tuesday's election. He urges voters to remember sacrifices many have made to protect Americans' voting rights and get to the polls, and he weighs in on whether a recent court ruling on absentee vote counting will impact this year's elections.

Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender and Bobby Harrison get an update on the state's medical cannabis program from Angie Calhoun, founder and CEO of the Mississippi Cannabis Patients Alliance. Calhoun became an advocate for medical marijuana when her son suffered debilitating Lyme Disease symptoms but could not try cannabis treatment in Mississippi. Her alliance provides many resources for patients and practitioners. Go to https://www.mscannapatient.com/. 

Mississippi Today's Adam Ganucheau, Geoff Pender, and Taylor Vance discuss three major political news events: the funding of Rep. Trey Lamar's Jackson street replacement, a poll from Speaker Jason White on tax elimination, and a contentious Mississippi Supreme Court race that could come down to the wire.

Mississippi Today's Adam Ganucheau sits down with politics editor Geoff Pender and reporter Taylor Vance to discuss their new investigation of state-funded projects that benefited Rep. Trey Lamar's neighborhoods. They detail how the story came about and share their key takeaways from the investigation.

Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison talks with former Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. about his life after retiring from the judiciary and running for governor in 2019. He says he still is concerned about issues facing the state and does not completely rule out another campaign for governor.

Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender, Bobby Harrison and Adam Ganucheau discuss the continued effort to eliminate Mississippi's income tax. They discuss what that could mean for Mississippi and how the process could play out moving forward.

Mississippi Today's Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison discuss Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney's recent proposal to change his office's traditionally elected position to an appointed one. Chaney is not the first Mississippi elected official to suggest such a bold step, and the politics of the state could make this debate a fiery one in 2025.

State Sen. David Blount sits down with Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison and Adam Ganucheau to discuss the push for income tax elimination and how that would affect the state's budget. He also talks about needed funding for the state's troubled retirement system and whether Mississippi will soon adopt mobile sports betting.

As Republican lawmakers begin a series of fall hearings to consider an elimination of the individual income tax, Mississippi Today's Adam Ganucheau, Bobby Harrison, and Geoff Pender break down the recent history of tax cut and the politics surrounding the idea.

Corey Miller, state economist and director of Mississippi's University Research Center, gives Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison and Geoff Pender a briefing on the economic state of the state, unemployment and workforce participation. He also tells a funny economist joke!

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann tells Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender, Bobby Harrison and Taylor Vance the state's financial position should allow for cutting the state's grocery tax next year. He covers numerous other topics and also talks about state Auditor Shad White's political scorched-earth from his new book on the welfare scandal.

Brandon Presley, who was elected to public office at age 23, tells Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison and Taylor Vance that he is not eyeing another run for public office after narrow loss in 2023 gubernatorial election. But Presley did not completely rule out another election run, adding that he is excited about attending this week's Democratic National Convention to support Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

The 2027 statewide election might seem far off to most folks, but the Neshoba County Fair made clear that Mississippi politicians are already jockeying to run for higher offices, particularly the governor's seat that will be open. Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison, Geoff Pender and Taylor Vance discuss who's looking to make a move for the state's top political offices.

Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour talks with Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison, Geoff Pender and Taylor Vance about the contentious 1976 Republican Convention between Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. He recalls how he filibustered the media from eavesdropping on members of the Mississippi delegation as they argued by reciting the state's 82 counties forward and backward.

State Rep. Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, talks with Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison and Taylor Vance about whirlwind events surrounding the Democratic presidential nomination. Johnson is a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

Senate Elections Chairman Jeremy England tells Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender and Taylor Vance that he plans again in the 2025 legislative session to push for in-person early voting and for campaign finance reform — measures he introduced this year that were unsuccessful.

Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison and Taylor Vance talk with former Democratic state House member and attorney Brandon Jones about President Joe Biden's health, about state Supreme Court races and a litany of ongoing federal lawsuits that could impact Mississippi politics. Jones is the director of political campaigns for the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund.

State Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, covers a wide array of issues facing the state during an interview with Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison and Geoff Pender. Bryan argues Mississippi's ability to deal with major issues will be stymied if the personal income tax is eliminated as some politicians advocate.

Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison and Geoff Pender interview Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Cheikh Taylor about President Joe Biden's debate performance and the future of the Democratic Party in Mississippi. Taylor, a state House member from Starkville, also expressed hope that the Legislature will finally approve Medicaid expansion in the 2025 session.

New Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Mike Hurst talks with Mississippi Today's Geoff Pender and Taylor Vance about November 2024 and 2027 elections, Medicaid expansion and party platform and why state Republicans should celebrate Juneteenth.

Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison and Geoff Pender interview Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney about the impact of legislation allowing him to create a state exchange where Mississippians can sign up for health insurance instead of doing so on a federal exchange. Chaney said the new exchange would be a positive for the about 250,000 Mississippians on the federal exchange. But Chaney says he will not attempt to create the state exchange unless Gov. Tate Reeves signs off on it.

Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison, Geoff Pender and Taylor Vance provide an overview of House Speaker Jason White's plan to cut the state's grocery tax and phase out the income tax. They also break down the select committee White formed to study state taxes.