A major legislative deadline last week saw thousands of bills die while hundreds of others survived. Among those still alive are bills dealing with school prayer, immigration enforcement, abortion-inducing drugs, school attendance officers, literacy intervention, and prison health care. Senator Jeremy England (R-Van Cleave) and host Wilson Stribling discuss the challenges to reviving the ballot initiative in Mississippi. Roundtable regulars Rebekah Staples and Brandon Jones then join Wilson for a spirited debate about the pros and cons of the ballot initiative process.

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The Senate Education Committee unanimously votes down House Bill 2, the omnibus education package. And Rep. Becky Currie takes on the Department of Corrections with multiple prison reform bills. Analysts Brandon Jones and Rebekah Staples join host Wilson Stribling to review these and other actions at the Mississippi legislature. In this week's interview, Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons talks with MPB's Elise Gregg about the Senate Democratic agenda

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As the first major legislative deadline approaches, analysts Rebekah Staples and Brandon Jones join host Desare Frazier for a wide-ranging discussion of pending legislation.  Topics include immigration enforcement bills, a registry for domestic abusers, expanded roles for certified nurse midwives, elections for all school boards, and much more.

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Host Wilson Stribling interviews Speaker of the House Jason White, discussing House Bill 2, the Mississippi Education Freedom Act. Then, analysts Rebekah Staples and Brandon Jones debate some of the bill’s more controversial provisions and talk about its prospects for passage in the Senate.

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The Mississippi House and Senate both hit the ground running in the first week of the legislative session, but with very different strategies for school choice and other education legislation. Host Wilson Stribling welcomes political analysts Brandon Jones and Rebekah Staples to discuss the Senate’s multiple bill approach, as well as the House’s mammoth, 553-page House Bill 2.

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Welcome to @ISSUE 2026! Host Wilson Stribling and political analyst Brandon Jones welcome new analyst Rebekah Staples to the @ISSUE team. Rebekah gives a baseball-themed explanation of the legislative process, then the team dives into the issues of school choice, the ballot initiative process, and concerns about federal budget cuts.

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The two-day Special Session of the Mississippi Legislature picked up where the Regular Session left off: with more controversy and heightened tensions between House and Senate. Host Wilson Stribling recaps last week’s events. Analysts Austin Barbour and Brandon Jones join Wilson to discuss the legislative proceedings and the outlook for the state of Mississippi.

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Analysts Austin Barbour and Brandon Jones join host Wilson Stribling to discuss the surprising ending of the 2025 Mississippi legislative session. The House and Senate have gone home without passing budget bills for state agencies and services. Governor Tate Reeves will surely call a special session, but what else could be on the table when the legislators return to Jackson? The team also looks at the successes and failures of the 2025 regular session, as well as the sweeping changes the tax reform bill may bring.

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Governor Tate Reeves signs House Bill 1, effectively eliminating the personal income tax in Mississippi. We recount the surprising events of the past week leading up to this historic moment. Host Wilson Stribling interviews Jared Walczak, a state tax policy expert from The Tax Foundation, a Washington-based think tank. Analysts Austin Barbour and Brandon Jones joined Wilson to discuss the tax cut and predict its impact on Mississippi.

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What a week. The Mississippi House surprises many by passing the Senate’s more cautious income tax cut bill. But a typo in that bill could bring income tax elimination even faster than the House called for. Host Wilson Stribling interviews Senate Finance Committee Chair Josh Harkins (R-Flowood), then debates tax cuts and state spending with analysts Brandon Jones and Austin Barbour.

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