1 00:00:14,687 --> 00:00:19,624 Hello, my name is David Olds and I'm your cohost for Mississippi Happenings. 2 00:00:19,625 --> 00:00:23,611 Joining me each week is my friend and cohost, Jim Newman. 3 00:00:23,611 --> 00:00:25,373 Jim, how are you, my friend? 4 00:00:25,373 --> 00:00:27,393 If I were any better, I'd be twins. 5 00:00:27,393 --> 00:00:29,475 All right. 6 00:00:29,475 --> 00:00:34,479 As you know, we talk about kitchen table issues that all of us face in Mississippi. 7 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:41,364 And we offer information from experts in the field and with solutions for plans of action. 8 00:00:41,725 --> 00:00:49,379 Our guest today is Mississippi House representative from District 94, Natchez, is Mr. 9 00:00:49,379 --> 00:00:50,790 Robert Johnson. 10 00:00:50,858 --> 00:00:51,458 Mr. 11 00:00:51,458 --> 00:00:55,818 Johnson has been the minority leader of the state house since 2020. 12 00:00:55,818 --> 00:01:00,298 He also serves as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. 13 00:01:00,338 --> 00:01:04,351 He received his law degree from the University of Illinois 14 00:01:04,894 --> 00:01:05,894 of Law. 15 00:01:05,894 --> 00:01:17,287 He also worked for Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore and Attorney General Edwin Pittman before starting his own law practice. 16 00:01:17,287 --> 00:01:18,990 in 1989. 17 00:01:18,990 --> 00:01:23,178 Representative Johnson, is an honor to have you with us today. 18 00:01:23,495 --> 00:01:24,459 It's an honor to be here. 19 00:01:24,459 --> 00:01:27,101 Thank you all for reaching out to me. 20 00:01:27,490 --> 00:01:28,790 Yes, sir. 21 00:01:29,410 --> 00:01:42,370 The 2025 legislative session is officially over and it's been, from what we can, what we read and what we heard about, it's been very interesting. 22 00:01:42,670 --> 00:01:45,770 So Jim, I will turn it over to you. 23 00:01:46,538 --> 00:01:51,723 Well, let's just start right off the bat with what is happening immediately. 24 00:01:51,723 --> 00:02:01,012 Representative, you attended a hearing yesterday with the Fifth Circuit, I guess, and over the redistricting. 25 00:02:01,012 --> 00:02:04,574 Can you tell us what happened and what's the outcome? 26 00:02:04,814 --> 00:02:05,264 sure. 27 00:02:05,264 --> 00:02:19,740 So the hearing yesterday was called because the NAACP, ACLU and the plaintiffs that brought this redistricting case had objected to the plans that were approved by the House 28 00:02:19,740 --> 00:02:20,851 and the Senate. 29 00:02:20,851 --> 00:02:28,253 And essentially, the reason for the lawsuit was that it was acknowledged and it's discovered and after litigation, was 30 00:02:28,253 --> 00:02:43,067 ratified by the court that there are areas in the House and in the Senate where Black voters are not having their vote, one man, one vote, maximized to the extent that they 31 00:02:43,067 --> 00:02:48,289 have a fair chance of electing a representative that would represent them. 32 00:02:48,289 --> 00:02:55,104 And the one House district that the court approved for change was House District 22. 33 00:02:55,619 --> 00:03:06,346 And that plan, even though the court had approved a plan that both parties had agreed to, the court always allows the legislature to draw a plan that's consistent with what the 34 00:03:06,346 --> 00:03:07,777 court ruled. 35 00:03:07,777 --> 00:03:13,143 Well, the House said that they did that, but the plaintiffs said they didn't maximize it. 36 00:03:13,143 --> 00:03:21,951 The House plan, the court's plan would require a restructuring of about eight districts, including the one where the change would be made. 37 00:03:21,951 --> 00:03:23,077 And the House 38 00:03:23,077 --> 00:03:25,110 the 39 00:03:25,110 --> 00:03:27,712 would essentially be like a coin toss district. 40 00:03:27,712 --> 00:03:34,355 It didn't offer a real practical or a realistic chance for African-Americans to maximize their vote. 41 00:03:34,355 --> 00:03:37,298 In the Senate, it was more extensive than that. 42 00:03:37,298 --> 00:03:47,648 And so the court heard the arguments from the plaintiffs that essentially said, would you please force the House and the Senate to draw plans that are consistent with your ruling? 43 00:03:47,672 --> 00:04:00,540 And the defendants, the people representing the state and the Republican Party said they have done all that is necessary, that the Voting Rights Act, Section 2, only requires you 44 00:04:00,540 --> 00:04:03,583 to have a reasonable opportunity. 45 00:04:03,583 --> 00:04:06,905 Their argument was that it doesn't have to be a guarantee. 46 00:04:06,905 --> 00:04:14,909 And the court, through his questioning, essentially said, we're not looking for guarantee, but we want a realistic change. 47 00:04:14,915 --> 00:04:21,120 And the argument was they didn't think the House, not the court hadn't ruled yet, but the plaintiffs, the House and the Senate didn't do that. 48 00:04:22,291 --> 00:04:28,290 So it really comes down to a fair chance versus a guaranteed outcome. 49 00:04:28,290 --> 00:04:29,692 Right, right. 50 00:04:29,692 --> 00:04:41,880 the court, through his question, essentially said, there's got to be a position between an opportunity, a fair opportunity, and a guarantee, which is what the court is looking for. 51 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:49,307 They essentially said, I think that the section two essentially wants you to do more than just give an opportunity. 52 00:04:49,307 --> 00:04:51,665 They want you to give a realistic opportunity. 53 00:04:51,665 --> 00:04:53,745 And the court seemed to say, 54 00:04:53,745 --> 00:04:56,216 I'm not so sure that the House and the Senate did that. 55 00:04:56,216 --> 00:05:06,061 And so they're going to go back and we expect to have a ruling in the next week or two because the Secretary of State and the Circuit Clerks have said they have to have the 56 00:05:06,061 --> 00:05:16,096 actual plans in their offices by April 25th in order to redraw, you know, how they will run the election, where to set up box, where the precincts would be, the organization to 57 00:05:16,096 --> 00:05:20,685 get the election ready by, I think the... 58 00:05:20,685 --> 00:05:22,831 the deadline for the election will be June. 59 00:05:22,831 --> 00:05:26,739 So the court is trying to get something done prior to April 25th. 60 00:05:27,367 --> 00:05:31,920 because if they don't get it done, I'm not sure that I think April 25th is correct. 61 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:39,145 But the ballots for overseas military, they're eligible to vote, have got to go out. 62 00:05:39,145 --> 00:05:44,647 And if they don't, then it gets pushed back and nobody wants to have a Christmas. 63 00:05:45,848 --> 00:05:46,881 That's exactly right. 64 00:05:46,881 --> 00:05:48,065 You got it, Gina. 65 00:05:48,065 --> 00:05:49,186 That's right. 66 00:05:49,249 --> 00:05:50,238 That's right. 67 00:05:50,238 --> 00:05:51,700 which goes back many years. 68 00:05:51,700 --> 00:05:52,070 Mr. 69 00:05:52,070 --> 00:05:54,703 Nunley from Tupelo. 70 00:05:56,986 --> 00:06:00,808 I gave a lot of consideration to running in that race against him. 71 00:06:00,989 --> 00:06:03,160 And I've always felt I could have beat him. 72 00:06:03,351 --> 00:06:04,127 Yeah. 73 00:06:04,740 --> 00:06:14,317 but I was just not prepared to spend the last two weeks or the week before and the week of Christmas campaigning. 74 00:06:14,578 --> 00:06:19,481 I just did not think that was the right thing for me to be doing and I just refused to do it. 75 00:06:19,722 --> 00:06:20,602 So. 76 00:06:21,270 --> 00:06:26,637 I agree with you as a person who's run a number of them, that is not a time that I'd like to be running. 77 00:06:27,030 --> 00:06:34,617 No, it's time to be with your friends and along with that. 78 00:06:36,662 --> 00:06:37,625 Tell me how you feel. 79 00:06:37,625 --> 00:06:43,799 did the Mississippi legislature finish up the year? 80 00:06:43,841 --> 00:06:45,895 I know that we got. 81 00:06:47,731 --> 00:06:48,902 some bedding done. 82 00:06:48,902 --> 00:06:52,693 I know that we can ship wines in now. 83 00:06:54,694 --> 00:06:56,877 So we made a couple of people happy. 84 00:06:56,877 --> 00:06:59,020 But a lot of people got disappointed, I think. 85 00:06:59,020 --> 00:07:07,368 What is your perspective on how successful or unsuccessful this last legislative session was? 86 00:07:07,719 --> 00:07:10,422 Well, I was fairly disappointed. 87 00:07:10,422 --> 00:07:19,867 And you're right, we did get direct shipping of wine to a certain extent, which is, you it's not monumental for a state that. 88 00:07:19,867 --> 00:07:21,912 was for probably five of us that. 89 00:07:21,912 --> 00:07:24,912 Yeah, right, right, right. 90 00:07:24,912 --> 00:07:29,812 I mean, you know, a bottle of Bogle or a bottle of freak show. 91 00:07:29,812 --> 00:07:32,752 mean, they, you know, I like good wine, but they're about the same. 92 00:07:32,752 --> 00:07:35,212 I don't need to order any, you know, somewhere. 93 00:07:35,312 --> 00:07:40,732 But, you know, I just I'm fairly disappointed. 94 00:07:40,732 --> 00:07:42,152 I take my job seriously. 95 00:07:42,152 --> 00:07:45,372 And I think there are a number of people in the legislature who do. 96 00:07:45,372 --> 00:07:49,052 And we have a responsibility to do our job. 97 00:07:49,052 --> 00:07:50,666 And I don't think we did our job. 98 00:07:50,666 --> 00:08:01,946 I don't, it just, it pains me to think that we left and didn't finish a budget and we're to hand that over to the governor to decide when and how and what we'll consider when we 99 00:08:01,946 --> 00:08:02,466 come back. 100 00:08:02,466 --> 00:08:05,370 And I just think that's a bad way to legislate. 101 00:08:05,370 --> 00:08:15,351 And I also am disappointed that, that even though you have Republicans and Democrats in, you know, in this state, that I am disappointed and we get accused of this, but I think 102 00:08:15,351 --> 00:08:16,614 it's far more. 103 00:08:16,614 --> 00:08:26,201 orchestrated in Republican circles that that day, you know, you're more concerned with reading from a playbook that somebody wrote in some think tank out of Washington instead 104 00:08:26,201 --> 00:08:30,825 of focusing instead of focusing on the needs of the people of the state of Mississippi. 105 00:08:30,825 --> 00:08:43,470 Now, you know, people talk about us having a surplus, a surplus that was pretty much accumulated as a result of covid and democratic policies like American Recovery Act. 106 00:08:43,470 --> 00:08:45,322 that President Biden passed. 107 00:08:45,322 --> 00:08:48,474 The state got a ton of money through those two programs. 108 00:08:48,474 --> 00:08:56,522 And we've essentially funneled that money politically to places that are on the right side of the politics of leadership in this state. 109 00:08:56,522 --> 00:09:01,025 But then we come back, even though we know that's one-time money, and say, we got a surplus. 110 00:09:01,025 --> 00:09:02,987 It's time for us to do a tax cut. 111 00:09:02,987 --> 00:09:11,992 And how do you do a tax cut in a state that, even though we've made some improvements in education, we are still so far behind in our public education system? 112 00:09:11,992 --> 00:09:14,003 and funding actual infrastructure. 113 00:09:14,003 --> 00:09:23,931 I'm talking about schools where you actually have access to wireless, where kids can actually work on a computer or actually have computers on their desk or have classrooms 114 00:09:23,931 --> 00:09:29,977 that are sufficiently heated and cooled or where they're not ceiling tiles falling out. 115 00:09:29,977 --> 00:09:34,440 When we talk about improvements in education, there's still a whole lot of work to do. 116 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:38,811 And even though we gave teachers a pay raise and teachers pay raises are important, 117 00:09:38,811 --> 00:09:47,299 because you want to attract the best people to those jobs, we still are far behind in terms of the Southeast average in terms of what we pay our teachers. 118 00:09:47,299 --> 00:09:57,017 And so when you talk about tax cuts, you would think that the tax cut will be coming in a state that's flush with money, that we see money coming in in the future that's going to 119 00:09:57,017 --> 00:10:04,253 keep us enthralled with enough money to do all the things and meet all the needs that we need to meet. 120 00:10:04,253 --> 00:10:12,337 We are at the, I mean, you all talked about this beforehand, but it's well known, except when you talk to the governor, the governor, I don't know where he gets all these flowery, 121 00:10:12,337 --> 00:10:13,459 we're doing so great. 122 00:10:13,459 --> 00:10:23,908 They, you know, he makes it up, I guess, but every, at every industry that you look at, we last in healthcare, we last in economic growth, we'll last in education. 123 00:10:23,908 --> 00:10:27,631 I mean, when I say last, we're in the bottom five, we'll last in infrastructure. 124 00:10:27,631 --> 00:10:31,543 But the most important thing is education and healthcare. 125 00:10:31,609 --> 00:10:35,530 Nobody wants to live in a state when you can't, when you don't have access to an emergency room. 126 00:10:35,530 --> 00:10:40,852 Nobody wants to live in a state that has the lowest per capita patient doctor ratio in the country. 127 00:10:40,852 --> 00:10:47,294 People want to be somewhere where they can take care of their health and when they have the opportunity to build something for their families. 128 00:10:47,294 --> 00:10:49,474 And we're not doing that job. 129 00:10:49,474 --> 00:10:53,775 Tax cuts instead of focusing on the things that people send us down here for. 130 00:10:53,916 --> 00:10:59,229 Public education, public health, public safety and public infrastructure. 131 00:10:59,229 --> 00:11:01,609 just do your job and we can take care of that. 132 00:11:01,609 --> 00:11:09,989 But instead you got people who want to read from a playbook that may work in Texas, that may work in Florida, but it's been done in other places. 133 00:11:09,989 --> 00:11:11,529 It hadn't worked in West Virginia. 134 00:11:11,529 --> 00:11:12,749 It's been a disaster. 135 00:11:12,749 --> 00:11:15,468 It hadn't worked in Arkansas, these tax cuts. 136 00:11:15,468 --> 00:11:17,009 It hadn't worked in Arizona. 137 00:11:17,009 --> 00:11:20,409 And God knows that Kansas is the best example. 138 00:11:20,409 --> 00:11:23,269 Even Republicans have to admit it was a complete disaster. 139 00:11:23,269 --> 00:11:26,709 And so why do we keep following a playbook that doesn't work? 140 00:11:26,709 --> 00:11:27,518 And so. 141 00:11:27,518 --> 00:11:29,580 I'm just disappointed that we did that. 142 00:11:29,580 --> 00:11:36,885 And so now we're stuck with the governor calling us back and he's just having his heyday with this. 143 00:11:36,885 --> 00:11:40,988 He's asserted that, well, I'll look at what budgets we need to take up first. 144 00:11:40,988 --> 00:11:45,731 How about we just take up the whole budget and take care of the business of the people who stayed in Mississippi? 145 00:11:45,731 --> 00:11:48,053 And then he wants things that failed. 146 00:11:48,053 --> 00:11:53,917 I think I'll put school choice back in there and I'll look at the Parents Bill of Rights and maybe the Tim Tebow Act. 147 00:11:53,917 --> 00:11:55,356 All those things failed. 148 00:11:55,356 --> 00:11:59,098 They were fully vetted, argued and debated and they failed. 149 00:11:59,098 --> 00:12:03,321 But the governor wants to bring us back in a special session so he can push that down our throats. 150 00:12:03,321 --> 00:12:09,385 I just hope that Republican leadership have the courage to come in and say, thank you for sending us back to take care of our budget. 151 00:12:09,385 --> 00:12:10,425 We've reached an agreement. 152 00:12:10,425 --> 00:12:12,066 There's other stuff you can leave it out. 153 00:12:12,066 --> 00:12:13,147 We're going home. 154 00:12:13,147 --> 00:12:15,718 So I hope we have a good sense to do that. 155 00:12:15,964 --> 00:12:17,770 Representative, sound like a Democrat. 156 00:12:17,770 --> 00:12:19,460 I get accused of that from time to time. 157 00:12:19,460 --> 00:12:19,998 Yeah. 158 00:12:19,998 --> 00:12:21,259 I'm quite sure. 159 00:12:21,259 --> 00:12:36,904 But, and I love everything that you just said, but let me ask you a question because the Democrats in the state of Mississippi in the legislature remind me of the Democrats in the 160 00:12:36,904 --> 00:12:38,265 U S Congress. 161 00:12:39,545 --> 00:12:42,886 They're there, but they don't speak out. 162 00:12:42,886 --> 00:12:45,777 They don't raise hell when things aren't going right. 163 00:12:46,195 --> 00:12:49,816 I mean, the whole country has been wondering where are the Democrats? 164 00:12:50,116 --> 00:12:52,137 And I'm wondering the same thing. 165 00:12:52,137 --> 00:13:02,031 Where are the Democrats in Mississippi that are not bringing all of this out screaming every day that we're on the bottom? 166 00:13:02,031 --> 00:13:03,722 We don't have to be. 167 00:13:03,722 --> 00:13:04,782 We can not. 168 00:13:04,782 --> 00:13:09,484 We can do things that can help get us off of the bottom. 169 00:13:09,484 --> 00:13:11,334 We don't have to live there. 170 00:13:12,835 --> 00:13:18,060 I mean, look, I hate that you're in Tupelo and hadn't heard me screaming, but I'm gonna scream a little louder where you can hear me. 171 00:13:18,060 --> 00:13:21,562 But I'm one Democrat that I can tell you I've been screaming. 172 00:13:21,562 --> 00:13:23,403 And as evidence, I've been screaming. 173 00:13:23,403 --> 00:13:28,207 Democrats that you're talking about who've been silent are upset with me because I've been screaming. 174 00:13:28,207 --> 00:13:30,938 And they say, look, we got to figure out how to work with these people. 175 00:13:30,938 --> 00:13:34,051 I say, well, you don't work with people from a position of weakness. 176 00:13:34,051 --> 00:13:36,292 You got to work from a position of strength. 177 00:13:36,292 --> 00:13:40,527 And you have to be vocal and you have to be striving in your position. 178 00:13:40,527 --> 00:13:44,711 about what you do and you'll find that people will respect you if you do that. 179 00:13:44,711 --> 00:13:48,113 But I'm with you, I'm frustrated with the Democrats in Washington. 180 00:13:48,113 --> 00:13:59,463 been, mean, and Democrats here in Mississippi who think that the way to make things happen is to comply and capitulate to Republican leadership even when they're wrong. 181 00:13:59,463 --> 00:14:09,544 And so, I mean, we had 11 Democrats in the House that voted for a tax bill and I would mention this in every one of those Democrats represent areas where they've been 182 00:14:09,544 --> 00:14:14,809 grossly underfunded and grossly underrepresented in budgeting that we do in this state. 183 00:14:14,809 --> 00:14:25,755 And so, and in the Senate, we could have killed that tax bill, but four Democrats voted with the leadership when they had four or five senators who were Republicans who voted 184 00:14:25,755 --> 00:14:26,185 against it. 185 00:14:26,185 --> 00:14:31,398 If they'd have just voted with all the Democrats, we could have killed that bill there. 186 00:14:31,398 --> 00:14:36,573 But, you know, we've got to start getting back to having a backbone. 187 00:14:36,573 --> 00:14:48,826 as Democrats and realizing that this is not a short-term game, this is a long game, and you gotta be prepared to work and stay true to what you believe in. 188 00:14:48,826 --> 00:15:00,062 But you're right, we don't do enough to call people out, we don't challenge the governor when he makes these false assertions about how we're doing, we're losing young people who 189 00:15:00,062 --> 00:15:01,672 are moving out of the state. 190 00:15:01,672 --> 00:15:04,019 know, the governor said something the other day. 191 00:15:04,019 --> 00:15:13,013 He said, the reason that is, right, He said, said, I mean, think about how nonsensical this is. 192 00:15:13,013 --> 00:15:19,756 He said that we need to, it's okay for us to create this fifth tier in the retirement system when we pay people less money. 193 00:15:19,756 --> 00:15:24,837 They have a weaker retirement plan and they pay less money into the retirement system. 194 00:15:24,837 --> 00:15:26,968 And so their benefits are less. 195 00:15:26,968 --> 00:15:28,460 We can't recruit people. 196 00:15:28,460 --> 00:15:29,996 He said, you know, young people, 197 00:15:29,996 --> 00:15:33,759 don't like staying anywhere 20 to 25 years like we used to. 198 00:15:33,759 --> 00:15:35,220 They want to move around. 199 00:15:35,220 --> 00:15:40,163 Well, I don't know what young people he talks to because all the young people I've talked to want the same thing we've always wanted. 200 00:15:40,163 --> 00:15:41,224 They want a home. 201 00:15:41,224 --> 00:15:42,545 They want to raise a family. 202 00:15:42,545 --> 00:15:46,568 They want to be able to do that without a tremendous amount of struggle. 203 00:15:46,568 --> 00:15:53,853 And the idea that he thinks that somehow it makes it attractive to start out weak and then lose that population because they don't want to stay here. 204 00:15:53,853 --> 00:15:54,774 They want to stay here. 205 00:15:54,774 --> 00:15:58,306 They only leave because the opportunity is not available to 206 00:15:59,125 --> 00:16:04,170 Well, I just want to say one more thing and I'll let David have his shot at you. 207 00:16:04,170 --> 00:16:08,524 Anytime you want to shout out and raise some hell. 208 00:16:10,306 --> 00:16:16,372 Our podcast, according to statistics we had, what was it? 209 00:16:16,372 --> 00:16:18,474 11,000, what do you call them, David? 210 00:16:18,852 --> 00:16:21,650 Impressions, 11,000 impressions. 211 00:16:22,637 --> 00:16:24,144 And every week we. 212 00:16:24,144 --> 00:16:38,491 want to come on and have your say about something that's going on and get the public stirred up, just give us a call because we'll make the time available to you because it's 213 00:16:38,491 --> 00:16:39,064 time. 214 00:16:39,064 --> 00:16:41,132 you're gonna be hearing from me, absolutely. 215 00:16:41,132 --> 00:16:41,956 I hope so. 216 00:16:41,956 --> 00:16:44,512 David, it's your turn. 217 00:16:44,512 --> 00:16:47,674 Let's kind of break down a little. 218 00:16:48,302 --> 00:16:49,923 But I get passionate too. 219 00:16:49,923 --> 00:17:00,147 And we've had some good conversations with Ty Pinkins, with Greta Kemp Martin, with Jarvis, Dorch, ACLU. 220 00:17:00,307 --> 00:17:05,888 And it's good because Democrats and you know... 221 00:17:05,888 --> 00:17:09,381 Progressives, we need to get excited about this. 222 00:17:09,381 --> 00:17:16,328 But let's talk, let's kind of break down a little bit about the income tax elimination, state income tax. 223 00:17:16,328 --> 00:17:20,192 But also I do want to point out and I've done my research on you. 224 00:17:20,192 --> 00:17:21,894 One of the things Mr. 225 00:17:21,894 --> 00:17:27,400 Johnson that you're known for is your bipartisanship. 226 00:17:27,484 --> 00:17:33,147 and your ability to work with and to reach out with those across the aisle. 227 00:17:33,147 --> 00:17:35,468 So I applaud you for that. 228 00:17:37,970 --> 00:17:49,145 we know that, and if I've got my facts wrong, tell me, 47 % of our budget comes from the federal government is what I understood it. 229 00:17:49,145 --> 00:17:52,657 And with the changes with the federal government and... 230 00:17:52,657 --> 00:17:54,286 Why are we? 231 00:17:55,927 --> 00:18:07,087 Or why is the governor so dead set on losing, with the state income tax, losing basically a third of our budget? 232 00:18:10,427 --> 00:18:18,367 What's in it for the state and what's in it for Mississippians with the elimination of the state income tax? 233 00:18:19,154 --> 00:18:21,194 I don't think there's any advantage at all. 234 00:18:21,194 --> 00:18:33,314 mean, the governor, when we passed, when the house passed HB1 and sent it to him, and he praised the passage of the bill and said, now, now we can help President Trump take this 235 00:18:33,314 --> 00:18:36,334 money and secure the border, which made no sense to me. 236 00:18:36,334 --> 00:18:39,954 I don't understand how one thing has anything to do with the other one. 237 00:18:39,954 --> 00:18:42,574 But those are the kind of things that he says. 238 00:18:42,574 --> 00:18:48,050 The only benefit I can see in this tax cut is it benefits Tate Reese politically. 239 00:18:48,050 --> 00:18:50,270 not in Mississippi, but somewhere else. 240 00:18:50,390 --> 00:18:55,350 look, 47 % of our budget comes from the federal government. 241 00:18:55,350 --> 00:19:10,651 In January, as my friend Omer and Scott, Donald John Trump started making these cuts and cutting money headed to the states, the argument was specious as best about cutting income 242 00:19:10,651 --> 00:19:10,911 tax. 243 00:19:10,911 --> 00:19:13,871 We're the poorest state, the lowest per capita income in the country. 244 00:19:13,871 --> 00:19:15,227 It makes no sense. 245 00:19:15,227 --> 00:19:26,567 But it made even less sense when you start eliminating, the federal government started eliminating the Department of Education, start saying that in a state that every year 246 00:19:26,567 --> 00:19:32,267 faces hurricane disasters, possibly, that he says, we're gonna eliminate FEMA. 247 00:19:32,267 --> 00:19:35,187 You're gonna have to stand on your own two feet. 248 00:19:35,527 --> 00:19:36,267 What else he did? 249 00:19:36,267 --> 00:19:38,647 Oh, we're gonna cut transportation money. 250 00:19:39,147 --> 00:19:44,699 We're gonna cut Medicaid in $880 billion, which means, 251 00:19:44,699 --> 00:19:51,619 that Mississippi, which is a 90 % state, 90 to 85 % in terms of federal funding, will probably go to 50%. 252 00:19:51,619 --> 00:19:54,639 We barely getting back, keeping hospitals open now. 253 00:19:54,639 --> 00:20:04,559 I don't understand for the life of me that at that point somebody should have said, okay, let's pump our brakes and see how this, this, this, all this, you know, ferrets out. 254 00:20:04,559 --> 00:20:07,879 Let's see what the, what the president is actually about to do. 255 00:20:07,879 --> 00:20:09,739 But nobody did that. 256 00:20:09,739 --> 00:20:14,483 At least the Lieutenant Governor had a good sense to say, Hey, uh, 257 00:20:14,563 --> 00:20:16,845 maybe let's look at this and hold on for a minute. 258 00:20:16,845 --> 00:20:24,350 And then towards the end of the session, he actually said, when people ask the house, which is famous for its Christmas tree, you notice how they get votes. 259 00:20:24,350 --> 00:20:31,114 They pass out these half a million dollar little tokens to communities that actually need about 20 million. 260 00:20:31,114 --> 00:20:33,796 And everybody goes home and say, well, I brought a little money home. 261 00:20:33,796 --> 00:20:36,788 So they asked the Lieutenant Governor, what about the projects bill? 262 00:20:36,788 --> 00:20:37,919 That's what they call it. 263 00:20:37,919 --> 00:20:44,073 And the Lieutenant Governor actually said, which I have been saying and other Democrats have been saying, how can we talk about spending 264 00:20:44,087 --> 00:20:50,587 hundreds of millions of dollars when we're about to cut 2.7 billion dollars out of our seven billion dollar budget. 265 00:20:50,587 --> 00:20:58,067 We can't afford to spend money on your little projects at home because we don't know if we're have enough money to run the state. 266 00:20:58,067 --> 00:21:00,707 And so I have no idea. 267 00:21:00,707 --> 00:21:06,527 I have no idea why the governor doesn't see the lack of wisdom in doing this. 268 00:21:06,527 --> 00:21:13,247 And then we exacerbate the problem by making a mistake in the bill that said that if the 269 00:21:13,247 --> 00:21:15,938 Next year's appropriations is 85%. 270 00:21:15,938 --> 00:21:17,692 We have an 85 % surplus. 271 00:21:17,692 --> 00:21:19,654 That's when the trigger will pop in. 272 00:21:19,654 --> 00:21:29,934 We changed that accidentally to a .8500 of a percent, which means that we could be cutting taxes and cutting our budget tomorrow if the law went into effect. 273 00:21:29,934 --> 00:21:32,166 But they sent it to the governor, he signed it anyway. 274 00:21:32,166 --> 00:21:35,670 So none of it makes any sense to me. 275 00:21:35,670 --> 00:21:39,953 But it makes sense if you're okay with maintaining the status quo. 276 00:21:39,953 --> 00:21:52,113 The vast separation of wealth in this state, the poor will stay still poor and even poor and the rich would at the very worst will maintain their status as it is, but they'll 277 00:21:52,113 --> 00:21:52,913 probably grow. 278 00:21:52,913 --> 00:21:55,453 This tax cut is regressive. 279 00:21:55,853 --> 00:22:02,813 People who in the top 1 % will realize like a $42,000 a year on average savings and income tax. 280 00:22:02,813 --> 00:22:08,533 People in the middle income, is our average is about medium income is about $42,000 a year. 281 00:22:08,533 --> 00:22:09,865 They will realize that 282 00:22:10,336 --> 00:22:13,636 $795 a year savings, which is about $2 a day. 283 00:22:13,636 --> 00:22:18,037 And the poorest people will realize about $42, people in the lowest income brackets. 284 00:22:18,037 --> 00:22:31,457 But we do that on top of, we say we're gonna lower grocery taxes, but nobody talks about this, but we also gonna raise taxes on other consumer goods and raise the gas tax in a 285 00:22:31,457 --> 00:22:39,693 state that has no mass transit, that people are barely able to buy gas and go back and forth to work in a less than living wage job as it is. 286 00:22:39,693 --> 00:22:41,367 None of it makes any sense. 287 00:22:41,367 --> 00:22:49,653 just creates a, it just continues to knock the legs out from any opportunity to grow and do better than we can do in this state. 288 00:22:50,836 --> 00:22:51,358 Thank you. 289 00:22:51,358 --> 00:22:52,527 Thank you for that. 290 00:22:53,179 --> 00:22:55,880 That's the short answer, by the way. 291 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:59,123 well, let me follow up with the other side. 292 00:22:59,123 --> 00:23:02,146 Why would anybody want to come to Mississippi? 293 00:23:02,146 --> 00:23:05,188 Why would a business want to come to Mississippi? 294 00:23:06,289 --> 00:23:08,591 And you can use eight or 10 words. 295 00:23:10,351 --> 00:23:14,673 I don't know why they come except whenever we want to attract the business, we just give away the farm. 296 00:23:14,673 --> 00:23:23,407 know, the continental tire, know, the continental tire is probably mad as hell right now because we said that one of the things we gave them as an incentive is that they could 297 00:23:23,407 --> 00:23:26,738 keep the income tax that would be collected from people who work for them. 298 00:23:26,738 --> 00:23:28,360 So now they won't be able to get that. 299 00:23:28,360 --> 00:23:29,991 But we just give away everything. 300 00:23:29,991 --> 00:23:31,462 mean, we build a battery. 301 00:23:31,462 --> 00:23:36,892 We did economic development project in Marshall, Canada, build a battery plant and the state's been 302 00:23:36,892 --> 00:23:47,775 close to $300 million just doing site development to get it ready, spent $20,000 an acre, $20,000 an acre on barren land to buy 700 acres. 303 00:23:47,775 --> 00:23:53,517 mean, you essentially come in and have everything you need to build a business handed to you. 304 00:23:53,517 --> 00:24:01,739 But we don't do anything, anything for three or four generation homegrown businesses, homegrown industry in this state, not a thing. 305 00:24:01,739 --> 00:24:05,198 Think about if you invested in what you already have here. 306 00:24:05,198 --> 00:24:08,691 who've been able to survive bad economic times for generations. 307 00:24:08,691 --> 00:24:20,682 If you gave them some incentive, could build, I told somebody, if you gave Adams County $385 million, we could build a new city in Adams County, let alone create jobs and 308 00:24:20,682 --> 00:24:21,823 economic development. 309 00:24:21,823 --> 00:24:23,709 But why would they come here? 310 00:24:23,709 --> 00:24:29,317 I don't know, because one of the things that people always talk about, how do you incentivize businesses to come here? 311 00:24:29,317 --> 00:24:34,140 Let me tell you what every industry I've ever talked to, and we proved it because that's how we spend our money. 312 00:24:34,140 --> 00:24:38,664 They want a working infrastructure, highways, roads, bridges. 313 00:24:38,664 --> 00:24:40,545 They want water sewer that works. 314 00:24:40,545 --> 00:24:45,227 They want good health care because their employees want to be able to come somewhere where they can be taken care of. 315 00:24:45,227 --> 00:24:52,391 And employees, because they're going to have to ship, just about every industry that employs more than 300 or 400 people have to ship half of those people in here. 316 00:24:52,391 --> 00:24:54,192 They want to have good schools. 317 00:24:54,192 --> 00:24:57,434 So why wouldn't you invest your money and time in to make sure 318 00:24:57,434 --> 00:24:58,955 Those things are fortified. 319 00:24:58,955 --> 00:25:00,977 You already have cheap labor. 320 00:25:00,977 --> 00:25:04,718 People would come here if you had those because we don't pay people that much money. 321 00:25:04,718 --> 00:25:12,041 And even if you created a good job, say an $80,000 a year job, that job would probably be a $120,000 a year job somewhere else. 322 00:25:12,041 --> 00:25:18,745 They would love to come here, but you can live like a king on $80,000 a year in Mississippi, and we could attract people here. 323 00:25:18,745 --> 00:25:21,866 But instead, we continue to keep people poor. 324 00:25:21,866 --> 00:25:24,707 Do you know we haven't done any economic development 325 00:25:24,807 --> 00:25:30,913 West of I-55, I don't consider a continental tower one of them because all the resources are concentrated just in Clinton. 326 00:25:30,913 --> 00:25:33,096 But in 30 years, we hadn't done that. 327 00:25:33,096 --> 00:25:41,244 We invested site development money from the governor's office, I think it's Union, Perry and one other county in East Mississippi. 328 00:25:41,244 --> 00:25:48,549 They have invested more money in site development for economic development in those three counties than they've done in the entire Delta. 329 00:25:48,850 --> 00:25:51,507 That is just, that's abhorrent. 330 00:25:51,507 --> 00:25:52,038 criminal. 331 00:25:52,038 --> 00:26:02,648 You know, you are as strong as your weakest link and you continue to make people who fervently want help and fervently want to stay in their hometowns and they want to work 332 00:26:02,648 --> 00:26:06,291 there and you purposely won't create opportunity and jobs there. 333 00:26:06,291 --> 00:26:10,214 And I say they because I don't control the purse strings. 334 00:26:10,214 --> 00:26:19,441 The Republican leadership in this state, which has been the leadership in this state for a couple of decades, they control that and they purposely don't take care of the people that 335 00:26:19,441 --> 00:26:20,762 need to be taken care of. 336 00:26:21,519 --> 00:26:23,212 Well, it's time for change. 337 00:26:23,693 --> 00:26:24,674 Yes. 338 00:26:25,355 --> 00:26:31,702 Let me ask you quickly about PERS, the Public Employees Retirement System. 339 00:26:31,723 --> 00:26:35,948 Did anything happen with that in the past session? 340 00:26:35,948 --> 00:26:38,781 Or did it get pretty much tabled? 341 00:26:39,032 --> 00:26:42,885 We pretty much got a table, which I don't think was a great idea. 342 00:26:42,885 --> 00:26:52,990 But one of the things that came, in the original tax bill was we were going to take the lottery money, take it away because we raising the gas tax, we were to take the money we 343 00:26:52,990 --> 00:27:04,616 were giving the roads for maintenance, which was about $180,000 to $100,000 a year, and divert that money to the retirement system from lottery proceeds to solve 344 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:09,425 what has been acknowledged as a $25 billion deficit problem. 345 00:27:09,425 --> 00:27:14,229 so, but that wasn't included in the bill that we gave the governor to sign. 346 00:27:14,229 --> 00:27:24,728 And then, but there was something there by creating a fifth tier, which essentially says people will, we will, people can pay into the retirement system, pay a little bit less and 347 00:27:24,728 --> 00:27:30,844 part of that money would go into a private IRA or retirement plan and some private, you 348 00:27:30,844 --> 00:27:43,164 entity managers and but the benefits that they would be promised, the benefits that they'd be entitled to would be less than the people who are currently in the retirement system. 349 00:27:43,224 --> 00:27:46,004 So that did happen. 350 00:27:46,004 --> 00:27:49,404 But let me say this, it's an illusion. 351 00:27:49,404 --> 00:27:52,004 It doesn't do anything to help the problem. 352 00:27:52,404 --> 00:27:58,932 And we have leadership in this state that brags about in the last five years that they have been able to 353 00:27:59,048 --> 00:28:03,052 eliminate over 2200 state employee jobs. 354 00:28:03,052 --> 00:28:12,840 And so if you have fewer people paying into the system, then you then the people taken out of the system, the system cannot sustain itself that way. 355 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:21,358 And let me say this, this idea of shrinking government by laying off or firing state employees is it is a fiction because you know what happens, don't you? 356 00:28:21,358 --> 00:28:23,309 We don't stop providing those services. 357 00:28:23,309 --> 00:28:24,691 Those people don't stop working. 358 00:28:24,691 --> 00:28:26,842 We privatize those jobs. 359 00:28:27,020 --> 00:28:29,780 We, somebody's buddy creates an industry. 360 00:28:29,780 --> 00:28:32,080 I'll give you a perfect example, like child support. 361 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:35,139 We ran all that through the department of human services for years. 362 00:28:35,139 --> 00:28:37,340 And now it's private. 363 00:28:37,380 --> 00:28:42,880 is contracted out to an organization called Maximus. 364 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:44,200 Same employees. 365 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:45,680 Those employees didn't lose their jobs. 366 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:52,800 They just ended up working for their private entity, but they don't have the healthcare that the state provides and they're not in the retirement system anymore. 367 00:28:52,940 --> 00:28:53,142 So. 368 00:28:53,142 --> 00:28:56,205 This idea that, we got rid of those employees, we're saving the state money. 369 00:28:56,205 --> 00:28:57,495 They're not. 370 00:28:57,896 --> 00:29:06,553 That money is being spent, but it's going in somebody's pocket and your retirement system is losing the benefit of having those 2200 employees that will be keeping the retirement 371 00:29:06,553 --> 00:29:07,484 system going. 372 00:29:07,484 --> 00:29:13,589 It just, if people would just, I tell people all the time, if you would just read, it doesn't take a long read. 373 00:29:13,589 --> 00:29:19,054 It's a short read to understand that these people are lying to you and we need to, we need change. 374 00:29:19,054 --> 00:29:20,635 We need to get leadership back. 375 00:29:20,635 --> 00:29:22,416 I mean, private prisons. 376 00:29:22,460 --> 00:29:26,764 they, but the private prisons industry, I mean, we've spent tons of money with them. 377 00:29:26,764 --> 00:29:32,949 When we had a correction system, wasn't the best, but look at the kind of problems we've had with the private prisons industry. 378 00:29:32,949 --> 00:29:35,040 We didn't fix a problem. 379 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:38,413 We just traded the management of that problem to somebody else. 380 00:29:38,413 --> 00:29:45,219 And those people are not employees anymore, but they're working for somebody who they're doing the same job for somebody else. 381 00:29:45,219 --> 00:29:51,093 you know, no, I mean, it's just, if people would just sit down and use common sense, 382 00:29:51,093 --> 00:29:57,478 You know, as a lawyer, one of the arguments I make all the time is that the law recognizes what common sense tells you. 383 00:29:57,478 --> 00:30:02,301 Well, legislation is good because it recognizes what common sense tells you. 384 00:30:02,301 --> 00:30:04,803 Common sense tells you how to take care of your business. 385 00:30:04,803 --> 00:30:13,229 It's not a complicated process we have down here, but there's a lot of selfishness and a lot of self-promotion that gets in the way of people doing their job. 386 00:30:14,115 --> 00:30:24,555 Just the concept of a prison for profit is just unimaginable to me. 387 00:30:24,555 --> 00:30:26,215 I don't get it. 388 00:30:26,215 --> 00:30:28,170 I don't understand that. 389 00:30:28,170 --> 00:30:35,730 look, when I started practicing law, you could go to a judge, in your community, the judges knew everybody, you knew everybody. 390 00:30:35,730 --> 00:30:38,470 The judges said, you, Ms. 391 00:30:38,470 --> 00:30:46,470 Mabelson, well, I'm gonna tell you what, I'm gonna, you you committed this crime and I'm gonna give you chance in next two or three months, if you don't get yourself straight, you 392 00:30:46,470 --> 00:30:48,190 know, I'm locking you up. 393 00:30:48,190 --> 00:30:51,630 And that was a great incentive for people to straighten themselves out. 394 00:30:51,630 --> 00:30:55,950 But not, but, you know, the second or third year I was in the legislature, we passed the 85 % rule. 395 00:30:55,950 --> 00:30:56,730 And I'm like, 396 00:30:56,762 --> 00:31:04,744 Why are we taking the discretion from judges to be able to manage their docket and be able to tell people we won't keep from filling up our prisons? 397 00:31:04,744 --> 00:31:09,526 And then what, a year later we passed the act for private prisons. 398 00:31:09,526 --> 00:31:12,416 So we have an 85 % rule saying we're being tough on crime. 399 00:31:12,416 --> 00:31:13,146 No, we're not. 400 00:31:13,146 --> 00:31:17,748 We're just guaranteeing that we can fill these prisons up for profit. 401 00:31:17,748 --> 00:31:20,800 And so it is just, the spirit of it is wrong. 402 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:22,370 The idea of it is wrong. 403 00:31:22,370 --> 00:31:24,358 And there's no good that can come out of it. 404 00:31:24,358 --> 00:31:32,088 tearing our state up, that whole concept, that whole selfish privatization and people having flesh for profit. 405 00:31:32,088 --> 00:31:33,160 That's what it is. 406 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:36,925 You're taking human flesh and making profit off of it. 407 00:31:36,925 --> 00:31:39,828 It's just a bad thing and it's hurting us all around. 408 00:31:40,207 --> 00:31:43,848 And we take them from other states, which is even worse. 409 00:31:43,848 --> 00:31:44,828 states. 410 00:31:44,828 --> 00:31:45,748 We take them from other states. 411 00:31:45,748 --> 00:31:51,208 The prison down in Natchez on Highway 84 is just filled up with alleged illegal immigrants. 412 00:31:51,208 --> 00:31:59,088 That's, mean, essentially, we just, you know, we look for an excuse to pay somebody to house, you know, people who have been arrested, you know, from other places. 413 00:31:59,088 --> 00:32:00,748 They're not from Mississippi. 414 00:32:00,748 --> 00:32:01,918 They're from all over the place. 415 00:32:04,107 --> 00:32:06,968 Let's talk about healthcare for a little bit. 416 00:32:08,129 --> 00:32:12,952 Every year Medicaid expansion seems to come up. 417 00:32:12,952 --> 00:32:25,749 And the numbers that I look at is that Mississippi is leaving money on the table every year by not accepting those federal funds to expand. 418 00:32:25,749 --> 00:32:26,691 Medicaid. 419 00:32:26,691 --> 00:32:35,471 What's your thoughts about health care and also about expanding Medicaid in Mississippi? 420 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:44,735 At the outside chance that they're Republicans who listen to your show, and I hope they are, I will explain that because they think that somehow Medicaid is some giveaway and we 421 00:32:44,735 --> 00:32:45,987 just giving money away. 422 00:32:45,987 --> 00:32:50,189 And I tell them all the time, don't know Medicaid recipients don't get money. 423 00:32:50,189 --> 00:32:51,930 You know, they get health care. 424 00:32:51,930 --> 00:32:54,583 It's like it's like with your automobile. 425 00:32:54,583 --> 00:33:01,808 You if you maintain the oil and you make sure the tires are straight, it'll it'll make sure your car will last longer. 426 00:33:01,808 --> 00:33:03,453 It'll serve you better. 427 00:33:03,453 --> 00:33:07,296 If you have a healthy workforce, you're gonna keep more people working. 428 00:33:07,296 --> 00:33:08,447 You're gonna be more productive. 429 00:33:08,447 --> 00:33:09,929 It's gonna be good for your economy. 430 00:33:09,929 --> 00:33:15,454 And also the people who can't work, the disabled, the children and those people. 431 00:33:15,454 --> 00:33:25,013 If you have medical coverage for them where they can manage their health, it costs you less than if you find them in the emergency room or in a hospital that needing 432 00:33:25,013 --> 00:33:26,053 catastrophic care. 433 00:33:26,053 --> 00:33:27,136 People say, well, 434 00:33:27,136 --> 00:33:28,686 But that's their responsibility. 435 00:33:28,686 --> 00:33:29,518 They have to pay for it. 436 00:33:29,518 --> 00:33:29,828 No. 437 00:33:29,828 --> 00:33:33,763 What you need to understand is there's still a public hospital act. 438 00:33:33,763 --> 00:33:35,715 It was the, I can't think of the name of it. 439 00:33:35,715 --> 00:33:37,406 was something Frank's Act. 440 00:33:37,406 --> 00:33:40,189 We passed the public hospital bill back in 1968. 441 00:33:40,189 --> 00:33:50,600 It actually started under Franklin Roosevelt because the idea was that the areas in this country, most of it was focused on Appalachia where there are poor people who don't have 442 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:51,460 hospitals. 443 00:33:51,460 --> 00:33:53,892 So they built, the federal government, 444 00:33:54,122 --> 00:33:58,584 paid to have hospitals built in areas that couldn't afford to have hospitals built. 445 00:33:58,584 --> 00:34:00,795 And they say, we'll build these hospitals for you. 446 00:34:00,795 --> 00:34:03,446 This has been the law for decades. 447 00:34:03,446 --> 00:34:06,567 We'll build these hospitals for you and we'll help you keep them open. 448 00:34:06,567 --> 00:34:10,409 But the one thing you have to do, you can't turn anybody down. 449 00:34:10,409 --> 00:34:12,650 You have to serve those people. 450 00:34:12,650 --> 00:34:14,660 You can't turn them away from the emergency room. 451 00:34:14,660 --> 00:34:16,126 can't, you gotta see them. 452 00:34:16,126 --> 00:34:24,104 They may have a bill, but what we'll do as a federal government is we will provide, we will pay for that uncompensated care. 453 00:34:24,104 --> 00:34:30,376 When you do what we ask you to do as a public hospital, we will make sure you get paid for the people you serve. 454 00:34:30,376 --> 00:34:38,898 Well, they passed the Affordable Care Act and it said essentially that model is okay, but we want to have a more efficient model. 455 00:34:38,898 --> 00:34:48,121 And that model will say, those people who instead of providing for uncompensated care, what we'd like to do is make sure that everybody has coverage. 456 00:34:48,121 --> 00:34:52,672 Because if you have coverage, that means you're not showing up at the emergency room for a cold or flu. 457 00:34:52,672 --> 00:34:55,884 you're going to your doctor's office and they're making sure you get the right medication. 458 00:34:55,884 --> 00:34:59,925 because hospital care costs a whole lot more than going to the doctor's office. 459 00:34:59,925 --> 00:35:08,289 And so they had it there and they said, you know, just a brief history, the federal government said, but you have to pass the Affordable Care Act. 460 00:35:08,289 --> 00:35:13,730 Then Republicans sued, Republican states sued and said, they can't make us take that. 461 00:35:13,730 --> 00:35:16,271 And the Supreme Court said, no, they can't make you take it. 462 00:35:16,271 --> 00:35:19,752 But if you can decide not to take it, but you don't get the money either. 463 00:35:19,798 --> 00:35:24,882 And so Mississippi was one of those states idiotically that decided we didn't want the money. 464 00:35:24,882 --> 00:35:26,134 Phil Brown was governor. 465 00:35:26,134 --> 00:35:30,619 We don't want that money because he was following whoever the governor of Texas was at the same time. 466 00:35:30,619 --> 00:35:36,985 This state that was rich in oil and gas reserves that they didn't need Medicaid money, but Mississippi needed it. 467 00:35:37,165 --> 00:35:46,139 So we turned it down and so far it's been about 16 years and we've turned down over $16 billion that could fortify our hospitals. 468 00:35:46,139 --> 00:35:51,974 could help us hire and keep more doctors and medical professionals in this state and make sure that happens. 469 00:35:51,974 --> 00:35:53,235 And that's what we've done. 470 00:35:53,235 --> 00:35:58,439 We have foregone the opportunity to take that money and keep our healthcare system strong. 471 00:35:58,439 --> 00:36:02,082 And that money just doesn't go get blown out in the wind. 472 00:36:02,082 --> 00:36:04,704 It probably goes to California, it goes to somebody else. 473 00:36:04,704 --> 00:36:09,867 So, we talk about California and how much we don't wanna be like them, but they're taking our money. 474 00:36:12,490 --> 00:36:12,990 Wow. 475 00:36:12,990 --> 00:36:21,918 What's good, what you mentioned education earlier, when the governor finally gets around to deciding what he wants to talk about in the budget, it seems to me education is going 476 00:36:21,918 --> 00:36:29,254 to have to be one of the topics because we're going to the largest budget. 477 00:36:29,254 --> 00:36:34,270 And we just learned today, I guess Monday, that 478 00:36:34,270 --> 00:36:42,190 The federal government's cut $137 million that we're not gonna be getting. 479 00:36:42,235 --> 00:36:42,997 Yeah. 480 00:36:46,566 --> 00:36:51,213 How's the legislature or the governor going to make up for the loss of that? 481 00:36:51,213 --> 00:36:57,902 We haven't fully funded the educational program except twice in its history. 482 00:36:58,144 --> 00:37:02,780 And it's not fully funded now, although we've got a new. 483 00:37:05,585 --> 00:37:09,292 mathematical formula for funding it. 484 00:37:09,368 --> 00:37:10,199 Yeah. 485 00:37:12,575 --> 00:37:14,316 What are we going to do? 486 00:37:14,316 --> 00:37:22,833 I mean, got schools that actually have roofs that leak, that put buckets on the floor to catch the water. 487 00:37:22,909 --> 00:37:23,490 That's right. 488 00:37:23,490 --> 00:37:24,951 I don't know what we're going to do. 489 00:37:24,951 --> 00:37:26,952 And it goes back to what I said originally. 490 00:37:26,952 --> 00:37:35,116 How do we justify cutting a third, close to a third of our budget out when we have these problems that exist right now? 491 00:37:35,116 --> 00:37:40,657 But 50 % of our education budget comes from the federal government. 492 00:37:40,657 --> 00:37:47,503 So when this federal government starts talking about cutting $137 million, we have to fill that gap some way or we will do, we will 493 00:37:47,503 --> 00:37:51,444 have services or programs that we don't offer our students. 494 00:37:51,444 --> 00:37:55,887 And I guess the governor is okay with that, clearly, because they don't want to do anything about it. 495 00:37:55,887 --> 00:37:58,368 But, you know, my answer, what do we do about it? 496 00:37:58,368 --> 00:38:04,610 The legislature comes back and gets some guts and says, these are problems that we have to address. 497 00:38:04,610 --> 00:38:13,014 And despite the fact that we wanted to give you a tax cut, we can't afford it right now because of what's happened for no other reason than what's happening in Washington. 498 00:38:13,014 --> 00:38:15,134 And we have to be able to take care of that. 499 00:38:15,134 --> 00:38:17,716 first and then we can look at doing some tax cuts. 500 00:38:17,716 --> 00:38:19,834 But I don't foresee that happening. 501 00:38:20,682 --> 00:38:24,439 any money left in the surplus budget, surplus fund? 502 00:38:24,788 --> 00:38:25,889 to $2.8 billion. 503 00:38:25,889 --> 00:38:29,962 But you know, that what if we keep taking it, we don't. 504 00:38:29,962 --> 00:38:31,414 Yeah, it'll go fast. 505 00:38:31,414 --> 00:38:33,585 You can't you can't sustain yourself. 506 00:38:33,585 --> 00:38:36,439 This one time money is like wiping out your savings. 507 00:38:36,439 --> 00:38:41,704 You may be able to do it, take care of things for a year or maybe two, but that'll be it. 508 00:38:42,465 --> 00:38:48,671 Because think about it, if you have if you don't, you're not collecting income tax, there's there's a whole revenue stream that you don't have anymore. 509 00:38:48,671 --> 00:38:49,144 And 510 00:38:49,144 --> 00:38:54,130 I asked the chairman of Ways and Means, so we'll take care of that with growth. 511 00:38:54,130 --> 00:38:55,601 Where's the growth gonna come from? 512 00:38:55,601 --> 00:38:57,542 You're not gonna, mean, grow where? 513 00:38:57,542 --> 00:39:02,616 They think people are gonna buy extra ribeye steaks or something? 514 00:39:02,616 --> 00:39:04,317 None of it makes any sense. 515 00:39:06,621 --> 00:39:15,707 I mean, it sounds ridiculous, but people need to know that's exactly the answers to those questions that I got on the floor. 516 00:39:15,707 --> 00:39:18,989 And there are no real answers that anybody's providing. 517 00:39:20,964 --> 00:39:23,274 This has been so much fun. 518 00:39:23,274 --> 00:39:23,961 I love it. 519 00:39:23,961 --> 00:39:24,863 Go ahead. 520 00:39:25,328 --> 00:39:28,880 I'm just saying this playbook, we've seen it happen in Kansas. 521 00:39:28,880 --> 00:39:30,111 Kansas went bankrupt. 522 00:39:30,111 --> 00:39:32,712 Republicans had to come back and repeal the law. 523 00:39:32,712 --> 00:39:34,794 They had to come back and undo what they did. 524 00:39:34,794 --> 00:39:39,229 But it took them 10 years to relent and say, OK, it's a disaster. 525 00:39:39,229 --> 00:39:40,089 It's been a disaster. 526 00:39:40,089 --> 00:39:41,160 We got to fix it. 527 00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:45,604 So, know, I just, you know, it makes no sense. 528 00:39:45,814 --> 00:39:51,901 Representative Johnson, we love your passion and we do share your passion for this. 529 00:39:51,901 --> 00:39:57,746 And we've kind of hit on points of this, but I do want to bring something up. 530 00:39:57,887 --> 00:39:58,557 The U.S. 531 00:39:58,557 --> 00:40:04,633 News Award Report ranks Mississippi 48th. 532 00:40:04,974 --> 00:40:09,127 And this is the list of their best states ranking. 533 00:40:09,461 --> 00:40:13,501 you know, from 1 to 50, and we are 48. 534 00:40:14,381 --> 00:40:21,421 We are number 50 in health care. 535 00:40:21,881 --> 00:40:28,281 We are number 50 in the economy. 536 00:40:29,341 --> 00:40:33,721 We are number 48 in infrastructure. 537 00:40:34,781 --> 00:40:38,981 We are number 45 in fiscal. 538 00:40:39,221 --> 00:40:47,121 physical stability, 35 in education and 35 in opportunity. 539 00:40:47,701 --> 00:41:03,161 I think we've touched on a few of those things, but these are some of the, this is how they rank us as, know, the bottom, you know, the bottom of the bottom. 540 00:41:03,361 --> 00:41:08,877 What's your thoughts about this as why Mississippi is ranked at the 541 00:41:08,885 --> 00:41:15,685 as one of the poor states, if not the poor states in some areas. 542 00:41:16,890 --> 00:41:24,976 think the part of the problem and because we need new leadership in the state and the reason people don't see the urgency of the leadership is because I think most of our 543 00:41:24,976 --> 00:41:28,151 attention is focused in the capital city metro area. 544 00:41:28,151 --> 00:41:38,290 know, people look at roads, the city of Jackson has terrible streets, but the highways and roads around Rankin and Madison counties in those areas, know, DeSoto County and some 545 00:41:38,290 --> 00:41:42,393 places on the coast where our population is concentrated, people don't see 546 00:41:42,393 --> 00:41:45,045 the urgent need that we see in other areas. 547 00:41:45,045 --> 00:41:53,631 And so they don't, you know, they, they, it's sort of, they live sort of in a Pollyanna kind of, you know, it's like, I don't even know what happens in Greenville or Greenwood 548 00:41:53,631 --> 00:41:58,214 or, or Fayette or Woodville, because I don't go to those places. 549 00:41:58,214 --> 00:42:08,050 But when you, you know, what that, ranking is based on the fact that there are areas in this state that are sorely in need of infrastructure, healthcare. 550 00:42:08,050 --> 00:42:15,115 I mean, I don't think there's a, there are places in the Delta that there's not a pediatrician or OBGYN. 551 00:42:15,115 --> 00:42:18,198 And I'm talking about 400 or 120 miles. 552 00:42:18,198 --> 00:42:24,686 And so those things factor into those statistics, which is why I say our problems are not that complicated. 553 00:42:24,686 --> 00:42:26,143 They're right there in our face. 554 00:42:26,143 --> 00:42:31,227 You could solve those problems in the Delta with healthcare and bring those numbers up. 555 00:42:31,227 --> 00:42:36,650 If you would just expand Medicaid, a billion dollars a year in the state of Mississippi could change the whole. 556 00:42:36,706 --> 00:42:41,070 whole outlook on healthcare and the economy, if you would take that money. 557 00:42:41,070 --> 00:42:52,274 And on infrastructure, we concentrate that area, there are areas in the state, the Northern area highways and Southern area, they have spent in the Delta and central 558 00:42:52,274 --> 00:42:55,647 Mississippi where most of the minority population lives. 559 00:42:55,647 --> 00:42:59,379 In the last 10 to 15 years, the last 20 years, we spent 560 00:42:59,565 --> 00:43:04,925 two-third, one-third less in that area, in those areas than we have in other areas of the state. 561 00:43:05,265 --> 00:43:14,305 In the last five years, and I'm gonna do research back, we spent 70 % of the money that the state spends on infrastructure and economic development has been spent in majority 562 00:43:14,305 --> 00:43:17,725 white counties, only 25 % of the money that the state has spent. 563 00:43:17,725 --> 00:43:22,505 We spent a ton of money has been spent in counties that are majority African-American. 564 00:43:22,505 --> 00:43:25,745 And so when you see those numbers, 565 00:43:26,165 --> 00:43:28,828 There are people in the states that would live in certain areas. 566 00:43:28,828 --> 00:43:30,068 that can't be true. 567 00:43:30,068 --> 00:43:38,454 But those of us who live in those areas that have been neglected understand that those numbers are terribly skewed because the gap is so wide. 568 00:43:38,454 --> 00:43:47,140 And let me tell you, it would take half the money that you would spend to do something in DeSoto County or Madison or Rankin County. 569 00:43:47,140 --> 00:43:53,060 You could spend half that in Jefferson or Clayton County and get a whole lot more result out of it because the... 570 00:43:53,060 --> 00:43:54,560 The ask is so low. 571 00:43:54,560 --> 00:44:03,100 mean, you know, could, you can live with less income in those areas if you just provide a decent job, a decent opportunity. 572 00:44:03,100 --> 00:44:05,000 And we could do that. 573 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:11,100 We had, we in the last five or six years, we've had enough money to concentrate on those areas and we could do that. 574 00:44:11,100 --> 00:44:17,160 Now the governor's office is suddenly saying we're beginning to refocus our attention on the Delta in those areas. 575 00:44:17,160 --> 00:44:19,880 Well, that's 20 to 25 years overdue. 576 00:44:19,880 --> 00:44:22,594 I mean, I'm glad you are now, but you 577 00:44:22,594 --> 00:44:30,853 you the way we work in politics, you start talking about the focus, but it probably is going to be another eight or nine years before you actually do something about it. 578 00:44:30,853 --> 00:44:33,144 So I just, it bothers me. 579 00:44:33,144 --> 00:44:40,585 Let me tell you the part that bothers me, not so much that we're at the bottom, but that I think the problem is not that hard to solve and we got the resources to do it and we just 580 00:44:40,585 --> 00:44:41,906 refuse to do it. 581 00:44:41,947 --> 00:44:43,798 We could solve those problems. 582 00:44:43,949 --> 00:44:45,069 Gotcha. 583 00:44:45,269 --> 00:44:52,312 And, you know, I live in DeSoto County, which is close to Tunica County. 584 00:44:52,312 --> 00:45:05,548 And from what I've seen and what I've heard, you know, Tunica County was promised all this money when the casinos came through and that was going to be the salvation. 585 00:45:05,548 --> 00:45:08,479 And that was going to do all these wonderful things. 586 00:45:09,263 --> 00:45:13,648 And then slowly all of these casinos kind of fade away. 587 00:45:13,648 --> 00:45:20,364 And when I drive down that way occasionally for, you know, it's really sad. 588 00:45:20,364 --> 00:45:22,464 David, you could go to a casino. 589 00:45:22,477 --> 00:45:24,757 I go on other businesses, the casinos. 590 00:45:24,757 --> 00:45:26,398 I love my money better. 591 00:45:26,398 --> 00:45:28,777 I'm not going to, I'm cheap. 592 00:45:31,778 --> 00:45:34,709 I don't, but anyway, if people go to casinos, I love it. 593 00:45:34,709 --> 00:45:35,219 That's fine. 594 00:45:35,219 --> 00:45:36,680 But that ain't me. 595 00:45:36,680 --> 00:45:43,530 I like my money, you know, but, but why has, and let me throw this out. 596 00:45:43,530 --> 00:45:47,051 It appears that since 597 00:45:48,605 --> 00:46:00,204 With the Delta being ignored all of these years and continue to be ignored, is that a type of Jim Crow-ism? 598 00:46:00,519 --> 00:46:04,902 Yes, yes, I mean, to put it mildly, it definitely is. 599 00:46:04,902 --> 00:46:13,169 I mean, even when you consider casinos in those areas, I mean, we could have diverted more of the casinos that income that came from those particular areas to those areas. 600 00:46:13,169 --> 00:46:18,857 You know, one of the things that I wasn't here when we passed the Docs, I mean, Docs, I gambling or whatever we called it. 601 00:46:18,857 --> 00:46:27,823 But when I got here, one of the things that everybody complained about, they told us that we pay if we pass this gambling legislation, that money would go to education. 602 00:46:27,883 --> 00:46:29,643 Well, the money didn't go to education. 603 00:46:29,643 --> 00:46:37,443 At the very least, it should go to local areas in a more appropriate manner so it can help shore up those areas. 604 00:46:37,443 --> 00:46:39,003 But it didn't go to education. 605 00:46:39,003 --> 00:46:41,483 It wasn't pinpointed in the general fund. 606 00:46:41,483 --> 00:46:44,583 And we spent it everywhere except on education. 607 00:46:44,743 --> 00:46:48,383 I think that's the problem with places like Tunica. 608 00:46:48,843 --> 00:46:51,743 Let me tell you something about gambling, casinos. 609 00:46:51,743 --> 00:46:55,660 We talk about the income we derive from casinos, but the truth of the matter is, 610 00:46:55,660 --> 00:47:05,820 it can be a drain on your local economy because what happens is, know, local restaurants close because everybody goes to casino to eat, people who gamble, you think most of them 611 00:47:05,820 --> 00:47:08,690 would be coming from out of town, but they're local people. 612 00:47:08,690 --> 00:47:15,256 So people are, you know, losing their houses and their family savings because they have a gambling addiction. 613 00:47:15,256 --> 00:47:18,601 So gambling is a specious way to build your future. 614 00:47:18,601 --> 00:47:21,343 you know, it is not the most reliable way to 615 00:47:21,369 --> 00:47:22,500 fortifying economy. 616 00:47:22,500 --> 00:47:28,814 But at the very least, if you're to have it, the wherever the casinos are, let more of that money go to those areas. 617 00:47:28,814 --> 00:47:31,854 When I was chairman of transportation, we had a casino Roseville. 618 00:47:31,854 --> 00:47:37,036 We had to fight like hell to say, look, that money, people are going back and forth on those roads going to casinos. 619 00:47:37,036 --> 00:47:41,087 Some of these are small towns like Natchez and Tunica. 620 00:47:41,087 --> 00:47:49,157 Let's take a portion of that money and commit it to at least fortifying the highways and stuff so we can actually have an infrastructure that we can 621 00:47:49,157 --> 00:47:50,818 attract some industry some other way. 622 00:47:50,818 --> 00:47:56,723 But people just don't, I mean, we don't, it's like we get to the capital and lose our minds. 623 00:47:56,723 --> 00:47:59,267 It's like, you know, people stop thinking. 624 00:47:59,267 --> 00:48:03,531 And so, yeah, that part of it is a problem. 625 00:48:03,531 --> 00:48:10,947 We're at the bottom because we see a problem and we have the resources and we don't commit to doing something about the problem. 626 00:48:10,947 --> 00:48:12,868 It's just not that complicated. 627 00:48:13,975 --> 00:48:19,318 Understood, Jim, what you got as we wrap it up? 628 00:48:19,318 --> 00:48:24,854 I was just thinking about my own representative who lives two doors down from me. 629 00:48:24,854 --> 00:48:28,337 And I don't mind calling him out, Shane Agary. 630 00:48:28,337 --> 00:48:29,437 You may know him, Mr. 631 00:48:29,437 --> 00:48:30,438 Johnson. 632 00:48:30,489 --> 00:48:31,391 I know. 633 00:48:34,635 --> 00:48:40,814 I guess he's been down there almost 12 years, I think maybe three terms. 634 00:48:42,455 --> 00:48:44,858 He had done a damn thing. 635 00:48:45,862 --> 00:48:46,814 Period. 636 00:48:46,814 --> 00:48:47,536 what to do. 637 00:48:47,536 --> 00:48:49,306 But he told the party line. 638 00:48:49,306 --> 00:48:50,567 I look at him sometimes. 639 00:48:50,567 --> 00:48:51,637 He doesn't say anything. 640 00:48:51,637 --> 00:48:54,258 But I know he knows what's right. 641 00:48:54,258 --> 00:48:55,459 I know he does. 642 00:48:55,459 --> 00:49:02,291 And not to point out any, but there are times when he voted against his own interests in order to follow the party line. 643 00:49:02,291 --> 00:49:05,623 And that's regrettable because he's a good person. 644 00:49:05,623 --> 00:49:08,090 I'm just telling you, sometimes it just shocks me. 645 00:49:08,090 --> 00:49:09,824 We got women who have voted. 646 00:49:10,082 --> 00:49:15,887 voted against the bill for equal pay for women because the Republicans didn't want to pass it. 647 00:49:15,887 --> 00:49:19,263 mean, I mean, you know. 648 00:49:19,263 --> 00:49:28,175 like that's one thing that we have in Mississippi, our own voters vote against their own interest. 649 00:49:28,175 --> 00:49:36,041 When we think of expanding Medicaid, Medicaid is not just for an African American. 650 00:49:37,641 --> 00:49:40,682 It's for poor white people. 651 00:49:40,822 --> 00:49:44,226 But yes. 652 00:49:44,226 --> 00:49:46,186 Yeah, that's what it's for. 653 00:49:46,386 --> 00:49:51,486 It's for poor working people or elderly, disabled and children. 654 00:49:51,486 --> 00:49:52,626 That's it. 655 00:49:52,846 --> 00:49:58,606 If you're not poor and working, if you're not disabled and old and you're a child, you can't get Medicaid. 656 00:49:59,128 --> 00:50:00,851 Yep. 657 00:50:00,851 --> 00:50:09,735 Representative Johnson, it's been great having you and do you have any last words for us or comments or anything? 658 00:50:09,813 --> 00:50:12,836 well, you said something earlier that I would like to point out. 659 00:50:12,836 --> 00:50:15,377 I'm not a antagonist. 660 00:50:15,377 --> 00:50:16,898 That's not my job. 661 00:50:16,898 --> 00:50:22,620 But I do think it's important to point out things that I think that people need to know and make sense. 662 00:50:22,620 --> 00:50:29,647 And you said I do have a reputation, in fact, to my sometimes to my detriment of working across the aisle. 663 00:50:29,647 --> 00:50:34,922 I don't work across the aisle just by saying I want to agree with you because you're in leadership. 664 00:50:34,922 --> 00:50:39,384 I try to bring people to the table to talk about everybody's interests and everything gets covered. 665 00:50:39,384 --> 00:50:41,503 And I think we need to do more of that. 666 00:50:41,503 --> 00:50:49,569 And I would encourage everybody out there to elect people who represent their interests and hold them to that. 667 00:50:49,569 --> 00:50:56,132 And I would also like to say to people, register more people to vote and be a part of the voting populace. 668 00:50:56,132 --> 00:50:58,633 Do more to get out there and make a difference. 669 00:50:58,633 --> 00:50:59,474 Every vote counts. 670 00:50:59,474 --> 00:51:03,125 If you didn't think every vote counts, look at what we ended up having in Washington. 671 00:51:03,175 --> 00:51:05,658 because people just didn't go out to the polls. 672 00:51:05,658 --> 00:51:11,365 And if you like what's happening, you're in a minority. 673 00:51:11,365 --> 00:51:14,228 If you want to see something change, let's get out and vote. 674 00:51:14,228 --> 00:51:16,211 It makes a whole lot of difference. 675 00:51:16,437 --> 00:51:18,137 Jim and I will give you an amen on that. 676 00:51:18,137 --> 00:51:32,536 And also just as a side note, since we did talk about the state income tax, I did reach out several times to Senator Josh Harkins, who is the chair of the finance committee. 677 00:51:32,536 --> 00:51:41,121 I have reached out to him and hopefully we will hear back from him because I wanted to also get his take on this as well. 678 00:51:41,324 --> 00:51:42,767 Yeah, that'd be great. 679 00:51:42,767 --> 00:51:43,764 That'd be great. 680 00:51:43,764 --> 00:51:44,647 Thank you. 681 00:51:44,884 --> 00:51:46,332 Jim, what you got? 682 00:51:47,149 --> 00:51:49,131 There's a lot of tariffs going on right now. 683 00:51:49,131 --> 00:51:57,097 And I heard a piece yesterday, I don't know where it was, but it was from Milton Friedman. 684 00:51:57,457 --> 00:52:08,525 And he talked about a pencil and the thousands of people that it takes to make that pencil from the wood to the lead to the paint to the little brass. 685 00:52:08,913 --> 00:52:12,107 thing that goes around at the top to the erasure. 686 00:52:13,734 --> 00:52:15,735 And it brought back to me the... 687 00:52:17,404 --> 00:52:23,648 old saying that we've so many of us have heard that it takes a village to raise a child. 688 00:52:23,648 --> 00:52:31,934 Well, it takes a village to make government work and a village has to work together to make that happen. 689 00:52:33,015 --> 00:52:34,357 And we need more of that. 690 00:52:34,357 --> 00:52:38,980 And for your work, I appreciate everything you've done, Mr. 691 00:52:38,980 --> 00:52:39,541 Johnson. 692 00:52:39,541 --> 00:52:41,221 Don't give up the ship. 693 00:52:41,742 --> 00:52:43,483 It's worth fighting for. 694 00:52:43,830 --> 00:52:45,294 And we'll be right there with you. 695 00:52:45,294 --> 00:52:51,959 And like I said, if there's an issue you want to come on and talk about, you know how to get in touch with us. 696 00:52:56,230 --> 00:52:57,882 Come on, come on. 697 00:52:57,882 --> 00:52:58,623 Come on. 698 00:52:58,623 --> 00:53:03,377 Well, with that, once again, Representative Johnson, it was great to have you here. 699 00:53:03,377 --> 00:53:05,008 was an honor to have you here. 700 00:53:05,008 --> 00:53:06,490 Jim, good to see you. 701 00:53:06,490 --> 00:53:13,077 We do appreciate our viewers, our sponsors, and we do want to leave you with this message. 702 00:53:13,077 --> 00:53:17,901 May we never become indifferent to the suffering of others. 703 00:53:18,062 --> 00:53:19,022 Thank you. 704 00:53:20,077 --> 00:53:20,974 Thank you all for having me. 705 00:53:20,974 --> 00:53:22,622 Look forward to doing it again.