The Other Side: Mississippi Today's Political Podcast

Mississippi Today's political team discusses how a Mississippi medical marijuana program may be growing less likely as lawmakers cannot seem to get on the same page.

Mississippi Today's politics team breaks down the seven biggest issues lawmakers will address in the 2022 session. Reports Bobby Harrison and Geoff Pender join Adam Ganucheau to discuss what to expect during the session and to analyze key relationships under the Capitol dome.

Mississippi Today editor at large Marshall Ramsey joins Adam Ganucheau to recount some of his most memorable stories during his 25-year career as a Mississippi editorial cartoonist.

Mississippi Today editors Kayleigh Skinner and Adam Ganucheau discuss potential Mississippi legislation that would aim to ban critical race theory from being taught in Mississippi schools — even though critical race theory isn't currently being taught in Mississippi schools.

State Sen. John Polk of Hattiesburg is chairman of a special committee studying how the state can best spend $1.8 billion in American Rescue Plan Act federal COVID-19 stimulus money. Polk provides an update on the committee's work over the last several weeks and the challenges of coming up with a plan to create "transformational" change in Mississippi with the unprecedented federal windfall of tax dollars.

Mississippi Today journalists Julia James and Will Stribling join editor-in-chief Adam Ganucheau to discuss how Mississippi was at the center of a renewed national debate about abortion access and the U.S. Supreme Court's deliberations about Roe v. Wade.

Mississippi Department of Transportation Director Brad White joins Mississippi Today's "The Other Side" podcast to discuss the $3.3 billion earmarked for Mississippi highway work in the recently passed federal infrastructure bill. White says the money will help, but will still be tightly controlled by federal highway officials. He notes the state has a more than $4 billion list of needed projects.

Mississippi Today's Adam Ganucheau, Bobby Harrison and Geoff Pender discuss the unprecedented influx of federal money and the large state surplus and how those funds might be spent by the state's political leadership, starting in the 2022 legislative session beginning Jan. 4.

Mississippi Today's Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison preview several factors that will make the 2022 legislative session one of the most contentious and important in recent history.

Rep. Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, the House minority leader, tells Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison and Geoff Pender it is time to focus on spending the $1.8 billion in federal American Rescue Plan funds on pressing state needs such as health care, aid for essential workers, broadband and water and sewer. To do that, he said, a special session is needed to quickly deal with legalizing medical marijuana.