The Other Side: Mississippi Today's Political Podcast

Philip Gunn, who in 2012 became the first Republican since Reconstruction to serve as speaker of the Mississippi House, says the state accomplished much during his 12 years leading the House and that record should set him apart in the 2027 race for governor. Gunn last week became the second person to announce a gubernatorial run, but many expect a crowded field, especially in the Republican primar...

West Jackson neighbors Valerie Clark and Heather Logan recently formed a nonprofit called Revive and Restore to prove a hypothesis that might surprise you: Their neighborhood has more good homes than blighted homes. JXN Reporter Molly Minta talks to Clark and Logan about their work mapping all 7,000+ parcels in their neighborhood.

Mississippi Today health reporters Gwen Dilworth and Sophia Paffenroth review what the Legislature did (or didn't) accomplish with PBMs, Medicaid, abortion drugs and other health policy issues this session.

Mississippi Today reporters recap the legislative session just ended, at least for now. The '26 session will be known more for what was killed — due to infighting between House and Senate GOP leaders — than what was passed.

Jarvis Dortch, executive director of the ACLU of Mississippi and a former state lawmaker, warns of a pending Supreme Court decision from a Louisiana case and efforts in Congress that would undermine the Voting Rights Act and potentially turn back the clock on voting rights and redistricting in Mississippi and elsewhere.

Sen. David Blount, chairman of the Gaming Committee in the Senate, says a proposal to legalize online sports betting lacks support in the Senate, and could harm the state's casino tourism industry, which provides thousands of jobs and millions in state revenue. Blount also discusses proposed, and recently enacted, changes to the Public Employees Retirement System, and proposals to increase tax cre...

Sen. Bradford Blackmon discusses the wild frontier of artificial intelligence, and the potential harm deepfakes can cause if left unchecked. He offered two bills this session that, while unsuccessful, prompted much discussion in the Legislature. One would have protected Mississippians' right to their name, image and likeness, another would have required AI-generated political ads to disclose the t...

Sonya Williams Barnes, state policy director for the Southern Poverty Law Center in Mississippi, says the "SHIELD Act" being considered by state lawmakers would be an impediment for Mississippi voters and is a solution in search of a problem. The measure is being promoted as preventing non-U.S. citizens from voting in Mississippi, but Barnes notes it's already illegal for non citizens to vote, the...

Cassandra Welchlin, executive director of the Mississippi Black Women's Roundtable, says Mississippi still ranks at or near the worst in pay inequality for women compared to white men. That gap is even worse for Black women in the workforce. Mississippi's male-dominated Legislature has been loathe to address the disparity in any meaningful way.

Sens. Kamesha Mumford of Jackson and Justin Pope of Pope (yes, Pope) share their insight and experiences as freshmen lawmakers, at the halfway point of their first legislative session. The two say they've quickly realized legislating centers around relationships made at the Capitol and how one works with others.

Secretary of State Michael Watson discusses his push for lawmakers to enact campaign finance reform, including transparency and searchability of reports for the public. Watson says he knows such legislation is a tough sell with lawmakers.

Senate President Pro tem Dean Kirby, a Republican from Pearl, gives an update on school choice, state support for areas devastated by the winter storm, and serving in the position known as "the senators' senator." Kirby said the state will help areas hit by Winter Storm Fern, but says damages will be in the billions and full recovery will be a long-term process.

State Rep. Zakiya Summers has filed the House version of the "Robert G. Clark Jr. Voting Rights Act." It's an effort to get out in front of what many expect will be the further dismantling of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 by the U.S. Supreme Court. Summers isn't extremely optimistic about the measure's passage in the Mississippi Legislature this year, but says she and other lawmakers are t...

Senate Education Committee Chairman Dennis DeBar says he will allow his committee to vote on the House's school choice measure, but he's still convinced the proposal to spend public money on private schooling will not pass in the Senate. Why are senators opposed to this? He explains.

Mississippi Today Jackson Editor Anna Wolfe, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her investigative reporting on Mississippi's massive welfare scandal, provides insight on the first -- perhaps only -- criminal trial from the federal investigation into misspending of millions of dollars meant to help the needy, fight poverty and feed the hungry as it enters its third week in court.

Jackson Mayor John Horhn gives an update on city issues to "The Other Side," including an arrest in the Beth Israel Congregation arson attack, the latest on the water system, the search for a new police chief as crime rates move in a positive direction and what the city hopes to get from the state legislative session. Hohrn says there are many challenges ahead for the state's capital city, and "We...

Mississippi Today's team prognosticates on some major issues the state Legislature will tackle in this year's session, which kicks off Jan. 6. School choice and teacher pay, workforce development, prison health care reform and health care in general, and legalized online sports betting are all clear-and-present issues. Will there be any surprise issues at the Capitol this year? 

Mississippi Today reporters Gwen Dilworth and Michael Goldberg recap some of the findings from their series "Behind Bars, Beyond Care," which uncovered widespread accusations of lack of adequate health care in Mississippi prisons and the suffering it causes. They discuss the potential for passage of reform in the upcoming 2026 legislative session.

Mississippi Today health reporter Allen Siegler and health editor Laura Santhanam give an update on the state's plan to spend its initial pot of opioid lawsuit settlement money. Siegler's in-depth reporting has chronicled some issues and raised serious questions about how the state and local governments are spending the money, which is supposed to help address the scourge of opioid addiction, whic...

Ridgeland Police Chief Brian Myers and New Albany Fire Chief Mark Whiteside said pending changes the Legislature made to the state employee retirement system will make it even harder to hire and retain first responders. They want the Legislature to revisit an overhaul of the Public Employee Retirement System set to take effect in March for those who serve in high-stress, low paying and dangerous f...

Newly elected state Sen. Johnny DuPree is no stranger to state politics. He was longtime mayor of Hattiesburg and is a former Democratic nominee for governor. He outlines issues he'll tackle in his new job, and vows to keep his constituents informed of what's happening at the Capitol.

Mississippi Today CEO and Executive Director Mary Margaret White, Jackson Editor Anna Wolfe and Editor-in-Chief Emily Wagster Pettus discuss Mississippi Today's mission as a nonprofit newsroom and how donors' support helps pay for expenses such as public records that journalists use in their work.

The link between good, affordable child care and economic development is discussed by Cathy Grace of Tupelo, the early childhood program specialist with the non-profit North Mississippi Education Consortium. She praised Gov. Tate Reeves and other Mississippi political leaders for acknowledging the need for an additional commitment to child care, but said much more of an effort by the state is need...

Sen. Jeremy England, chairman of the Senate Elections Committee, says he plans to again introduce legislation for Mississippi to join most other states and allow in-person, no-excuse early voting. He also talks about the U.S. Supreme Court agreeing to hear a Mississippi case challenging the counting of mail-in ballots after Election Day, and about major issues he foresees in the 2026 legislative s...

Mississippi Today's Michael Goldberg, Geoff Pender and Taylor Vance break down last week's special legislative elections, where Democrats gained three seats. Goldberg complains of a dearth of election-night pizza.