11.14.13
State
Gautier leaders seek funding to clean up potential hazards
WLOX
GAUTIER, MS (WLOX) -The city of Gautier is seeking funds to help cleanup
potential hazardous and polluted sites around town. The Environmental
Protection Agency Grant is for $400,000.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23962420/gautier-leaders-seek-funding-to-clean-up-potential-hazards
Oil spill snarls traffic
DeSoto Times
By ROBERT LEE LONG
Published: Thursday, November 14, 2013 1:05 AM CST
HERNANDO — An oil spill in the eastbound lane on Commerce Street snarled
traffic for about two hours Wednesday as public works crews cleaned up the
mess.
http://www.desototimes.com/articles/2013/11/14/news/doc5284318417d39517009287.txt
Five DMR defendants enter not guilty pleas at arraignment
WLOX
GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) -All five defendants in the federal DMR case pleaded
not guilty at their arraignment Wednesday morning in Gulfport federal
court. Judge Robert Walker then set a trial date for December 16th. But
defense attorneys say there's a good chance there will be a continuance and
that trial date postponed.
http://www.wlox.com/story/23957207/five-dmr-defendants-enter-not-guilty-pleas-at-arraignment
5 accused in federal DMR case plead not guilty, trial set for Dec. 16
Mississippi Press
Warren Kulo
November 13, 2013 at 11:57 AM
GULFPORT, Mississippi -- The five defendants in the case surrounding the
Department of Marine Resources plead not guilty to all charges in federal
court Thursday morning and U.S. District Court Magistrate Robert Walker set
a trial date of Dec. 16.
http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/11/5_accused_in_federal_dmr_case.html#incart_river
Five defendants plead not guilty in federal court to public corruption
charges
Sun Herald
GULFPORT -- U.S. District Court Judge Keith Starrett will preside over the
public corruption trials of former DMR executive director Bill Walker, his
son Scott Walker and three others, all of whom pleaded not guilty Wednesday
morning to multiple charges.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/11/13/5111289/five-defendants-back-in-federal.html
National
Next generation of biofuels is still years away
JONATHAN FAHEY
Associated Press
November 13, 2013 - 3:50 PM
NEW YORK — The first trickle of fuels made from agricultural waste is
finally winding its way into the nation's energy supply, after years of
broken promises and hype promoting a next-generation fuel source cleaner
than oil.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/231797401.html
EPA, Manchin spar over power plant climate bill
The Hill
By Ben Geman
The Environmental Protection Agency is bashing draft legislation by a
bipartisan duo of coal country lawmakers that would thwart the EPA's
upcoming carbon emissions standards for coal-fired power plants.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/190118-epa-manchin-spar-over-power-plant-climate-bill
House Measure Seeks to Crack Down on Asbestos Trust Fraud
Push for greater transparency in multibillion-dollar system
Wall Street Journal
By DIONNE SEARCEY
Nov. 13, 2013 7:27 p.m. ET
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a measure Wednesday aimed at
cracking down on fraud in the multibillion-dollar system of asbestos
bankruptcy trusts.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303559504579196454057666732?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_6
Opinion
SUN HERALD | Editorial: Does CMR appointment meet the spirit of the law?
By all accounts, the governor's recent appointment to the Commission on
Marine Resources, Ernie Zimmerman, is a fine man and an avid recreational
fisherman.
http://www.sunherald.com/2013/11/13/5112369/sun-herald-editorial-does-cmr.html
Press Releases
Governor Releases Fiscally Responsible Budget
Bryant: 'My Fiscal Year 2015 budget uses zero one-time money'
JACKSON – Gov. Phil Bryant presented his Fiscal Year 2015 budget to the
Legislature today, calling for building state savings and keeping spending
in check.
"This budget addresses state priorities with three guiding principles in
mind: spending prudently, saving for the future and prioritizing the core
functions of government," Gov. Bryant said.
Gov. Bryant's $6.1 billion balanced budget maintains his commitment to use
only 98 percent of the General Fund revenue estimate. It spends zero
one-time money for recurring expenses and includes no across-the-board
agency growth.
Gov. Bryant's budget also provides $70 million for the first step in a
five-year plan for repairs and renovations to state property that increases
cash for capital needs and subsequently decreases bond debt. Per the
plan's first year of implementation, $27 million will be administered by
the DFA for needs at state agencies that do not manage their own capital
needs, and $43 million is recommended as a direct appropriation among
agencies that self-manage their capital needs. Full five-year
implementation of this plan could help Mississippi save $256 million in
debt service costs because the state will be able to pay cash for many
repair and renovation needs instead of issuing bond debt.
The budget also establishes a $16 million building repair fund for the K-12
system.
In order to build the state's reserves and guard against the potential
impacts of a slow national economy, Gov. Bryant's budget spends none of the
Rainy Day Fund, achieving $171 million in savings.
"While Mississippi's economy grew by 2.4 percent in 2012 and our Gross
Domestic Product totaled more than $100 billion for the first time, the
temptation may exist to loosen budget discipline and begin spending with
less caution. But this would be the wrong course for Mississippi."
The governor's continued commitment to the "98 percent rule" will also
yield an additional $108 million set aside at the close of Fiscal Year 2015
if revenues meet projections. After year-end calculations, a portion of the
set aside will be deposited into the Rainy Day Fund, which would help bring
the balance to about half of its statutory limit.
"The Rainy Day Fund has been the safety net it was intended to be in lean
years. As Lieutenant Governor, I worked to fill this fund to its statutory
limit, and the reserves the state saved in those years helped mitigate the
impacts of the Great Recession," Gov. Bryant said.
"I am adamant that Mississippi again fill the Rainy Day Fund to its
statutory limit. Failure to save while times are good is unfair to
taxpayers, and it has the potential to erode other successes in an instant
if we are forced to make cuts in the face of another national recession."
Gov. Bryant's budget also recommends $8 million to expand the state's
network of Community Health Centers, which served more than 325,000
patients in 2012. There are currently 21 principal Community Health Centers
in Mississippi, and many operate satellite locations. Most of the people
Community Health Centers serve have incomes below 200 percent of the
Federal Poverty Limit. Many are also uninsured.
"I have seen firsthand the quality of care that is being provided at these
Community Health Centers," Bryant said. "This expansion will offer more
Mississippians more access to primary care services. Further, research
indicates that by providing high quality primary care and preventive
services to vulnerable populations, Community Health Centers reduce
avoidable use of high-cost services in emergency and inpatient settings, in
turn lowering health care costs."
Gov. Bryant's $8 million recommendation includes two new initiatives, which
should be administered by the Mississippi State Department of Health:
· Primary Care Capacity Building Program - $4.8 million will be
administered as grant funding to Community Health Centers that build
their capacity by offering extended hours, expanding satellite
locations or establishing emergency room diversion programs with
local hospitals.
· Mississippi Incubator Program - $3.2 million will also be
administered as incubator grant funding by the Department of Health.
These funds can be used to help launch new Community Health Centers
or to help existing non-certified make necessary changes to become
federally certified. The State of Texas started a similar incubator
program in 2003 and has since launched 28 new Community Health
Centers through its program.
Additional budget highlights include:
Education
K-12:
· Provides level funding for MAEP.
· Provides $22.3 million in targeted increases to K-12 education,
including the $16 million building fund, $750,000 for the DuBard
School for Language Disorders, funding to satisfy the state's
commitments to the Chickasaw Interest, and $1.5 million to help
interested schools use the ACT as a high school exit exam.
· Continues funding for Gov. Bryant's Education Works priorities:
· Satisfies request of National Board Certified Teacher Program, $22.6
million.
Community Colleges:
· Recommends $8 million increase to Community College Support.
Ø $1.149 million for 22 new dual enrollment programs.
Ø $3.75 million for new career tech/workforce programs.
Ø $1.5 million to expand GED outreach effort.
Ø Remaining increase should be directed to additional workforce
development efforts.
· Recommends additional $14 million as part of DFA Capital Needs plan.
IHL:
· Satisfies full request, $394 million.
· Fully funds student financial aid $37.7 million.
· Recommends additional $19 million as part of DFA Capital Needs plan.
Public Safety
· $2 million for 16 additional Assistant District Attorneys to be hired
around the state.
· Full funding of drug court deficit ($4 million) and full funding of
ideal model in FY 15 ($7 million in state support, which is in
addition to approximately $4 million the courts already generate
through assessments.)
· Full funding for the Mississippi Department of Corrections in FY 15
($362 million), as well as a $22.4 million deficit for FY 14. The
budget additionally provides $4 million as part of DFA Capital Needs
Plan.
Mississippi Highway Patrol:
Ø Provides $6.9 million to conduct a trooper school.
Ø Also provides an approximate increase of $4.7
Ø Funding for 73 new cars and 512 new bullet proof vests.
Ø Budget also includes second in a series of three payments for the
driver's license modernization project.
State Crime Lab:
Ø Provides $2.75 million increase to assist with moving to new
facility and filling vacant positions.
State Medical Examiner:
Ø Provides $766,000 increase to fund empty positions, some of which
have been vacant for three years. Filing these positions will
help reduce the overall caseload of individual examiners.
Strike Force Effort:
Ø Budget proves $1.5 million to establish new strike forces that
will work around the state to address needs in high crime areas.
Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics increase includes:
Ø Full funding at $13.7 million. Increase includes new agents and
new criminal intelligence analysts.
Ø MBN recommendation also includes $845,000 to help offset cuts to
local drug task forces.
Mississippi National Guard:
Ø Full funding for Military ($9.8 million), plus $1 million extra to
build new Youth Challenge barracks at Camp Shelby, which will help
double the size of that program.
Additional Recommendations
UMMC:
· Targeted increases for UMMC that will help support the School of
Medicine's growth and ensure that we retain the doctors we train:
Ø $3.8 million so UMMC can establish more residencies and
fellowships at its hospital as more students graduate from the
School of Medicine.
Ø $2.4 million for the successful Rural Physicians Scholarship
Program. Last session, the cap was lifted on the number of
scholarships and instead tied awards to the amount of available
funding. This appropriation will provide 60 scholarships for
students who agree to practice a primary care discipline in a
rural area.
Ø $310,000 for the Rural Dentist Scholarship Program. This program
was established last year and was started with 3 scholarships.
This appropriation brings the total to 6.
· Level funds ($1.5 million) Office of Physician Workforce, established
under Governor Bryant's 2012 legislative agenda.
Division of Medicaid:
· Funded at $883 million
· Budget also recommends an additional $4.4 million to offset a portion
of DSH payments hospitals anticipate losing as a result of Obamacare.
"This balanced budget funds Mississippi's highest priorities-- investing in
our children by continuing to improve our education outcomes, protecting
public safety, continuing our economic development efforts and ensuring the
basic function of critical government systems."
Gov. Bryant's Executive Budget Recommendation is available for download at
www.governorbryant.com.
###
