The Other Side: Mississippi Today's Political Podcast

Ray Mabus, the former Mississippi governor and U.S. Secretary of the Navy, joins political reporters Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison to discuss how Gov. Tate Reeves and U.S. Navy officials have handled the coronavirus pandemic.

Erica Jones, president of the Mississippi Association of Educators, joins Mississippi Today reporters Kayleigh Skinner and Adam Ganucheau to discuss Gov. Tate Reeves' decision to close schools for the remainder of the year.

Rep. Jarvis Dortch discusses why black Mississippians are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus epidemic, and he offers a policy solution moving forward: expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Mississippi Today health care reporter Erica Hensley answers key questions about the coronavirus pandemic in Mississippi and discusses what it's like covering the crisis on a daily basis.

In a 45-minute interview, Gov. Tate Reeves answers questions about decisions he's made as the coronavirus has spread in Mississippi, how prepared the state of Mississippi is for a "worst-case scenario," how he believes politics has played into criticism he's received, and whether this health care crisis has changed his perspective on Medicaid expansion.

State Sen. Hob Bryan, the chairman of the Senate Public Health Committee, joins Mississippi Today political reporters Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison to discuss how state leaders have handled the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, and how lawmakers made the historic decision to postpone a legislative session.

Mississippi Today political reporter break down the 2020 primaries, and Mike Espy, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, lays out his strategy for defeating Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in November.

Mississippi Today reporters Adam Ganucheau, Bobby Harrison and Kaleigh Skinner discuss what key bills passed or died after the 2020 legislative session's first substantial deadline.

Arekia Bennett, who  organized the people's caucus that inspired Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba's endorsement of Bernie Sanders for 2020 president, joins Mississippi Today political reporter Adam Ganucheau to give a behind-the-scenes look at the caucus itself and discuss the importance of young organizers in Mississippi's political process.

Sen. Chris McDaniel joins Mississippi Today political reporters Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison to discuss the constitutionality and origins of his bill called the "Stop Guilt by Accusation Act" that would legally force media outlets to follow up on the outcomes of cases of public officials.

Rep. Bryant Clark, who was elected to the House in 2003, joins Mississippi Today political reporters Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison to discuss his father's legacy, his goals this legislative session, and his thoughts on the Democratic presidential primary.

In one of his last official acts as lieutenant governor, now-Gov. Tate Reeves announced he was appointing former state Sen. Nancy Collins of Tupelo to a coveted seat on the Mississippi State Board of Education. Mississippi Today political reporters discuss how  Collins' legislative history and  discrepancies over when the appointment was actually could make her confirmation tricky.

Newly elected Reps. Billy Andrews and Dale Goodin join Mississippi Today political reporters Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison to discuss Speaker Philip Gunn's decision, which was re-enforced by the House Appropriations Committee, to force four state retirees to choose between giving up their pensions or resigning from office.

Mississippi Today reporters Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison recap the first quarter of the 2020 legislative session, including the possibility that a teacher pay raise bill could spark disagreements between key GOP leaders.

Sen. Angela Turner Ford, D-West Point, was elected to the Senate in a 2013 special election to replace her father Bennie Turner, who died in office. Ford, an attorney,  has been re-elected twice, She will chair the Senate Public Property Committee for the next four-year term. The state's public property ranges from university buildings, to state office buildings to prisons.

Jamie Grantham, communications director for Mississippians for Compassionate Care, joins political reporter Adam Ganucheau to discuss her group's work to legalize medical marijuana through a ballot initiative in 2020.

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann joins Mississippi Today political reporters Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison to discuss some of the biggest issues facing the Legislature in 2020 and how he feels "a heavy weight" to represent Mississippians who have little trust in state government.

Andrew Ketchings, clerk for the Mississippi House of Representatives, joins political reporters Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison to discuss his many duties and how Mississippi politics has changed over the past 25 years.

State Rep. Alyce Clarke, D-Jackson, joins Mississippi Today political reporters Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison to discuss her years of work to pass the state lottery and other accomplishments during her 35 years in office.

Mississippi Today political reporters Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison discuss how Mississippi's senators will handle the upcoming Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

Mississippi Today politics reporters Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison discuss how a House election challenge — a Republican House incumbent who lost re-election by 14 votes wants the results overturned — could dominate the early news cycles of the 2020 legislative session.

Longtime state Sen. Dean Kirby joins Mississippi Today politics reporters Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison to discuss how leadership changes at the Capitol could create a different approach to policymaking beginning in the 2020 legislative session.

Mississippi Today reporters Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison discuss the 2020 U.S. Senate election that will likely provide a rematch of the contentious 2018 race between Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Mike Espy.

Rick Cleveland, who has written about Mississippi sports for 54 years, joins Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison to discuss the Egg Bowl rivalry between Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

Political strategist Michael Rejebian, who ran Jim Hood's campaign for governor, joins Mississippi Today political reporters Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison to review the reasons behind certain political decisions the campaign made and discuss the difficulty of winning a statewide election as a Mississippi Democrat in 2019 and beyond.