The Other Side: Mississippi Today's Political Podcast

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 session.

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.

Republican House Corrections Chairwoman Becky Currie of Brookhaven began touring state prisons when she got her committee chair assignment a couple of years ago, and found a disturbing dearth of medical care for inmates. 'We're paying $124 million to a company for health care and they are not going it and they are keeping the money," said Currie, who is pushing for reform and been a centerpiece of Mississippi Today's investigative series on prison health care, "Behind Bars, Beyond Care.

Ricky Neaves, director of the Mississippi High School Activities Association said that the push for expanded "school choice" by Mississippi lawmakers could have a drastic impact on athletics and other programs in the state's public education system. He said improper "recruitment" of athletes already happens, even with his agency's oversight, but that universal school choice would exacerbate competition to lure athletes with ill effect on public schools, especially small, rural ones. Neaves said he hopes lawmakers leave MHSAA's eligibility authority intact if they expand school choice.

Rep. Robert Johnson III of Natchez, leader of Mississippi House Democrats, says the GOP leadership's push for "school choice" is out of touch with rank-and-file Mississippians, many Republican lawmakers and educators. He also makes an announcement about his plans for his own political future, often the subject of much speculation.

Nancy Loome, executive director of The Parents' Campaign public education advocacy group counters many points proponents are making in their push for more school choice in Mississippi. Loome says siphoning public money for private schools would provide no benefit to Mississippi students or taxpayers and that state leaders should instead focus on sustaining and expanding education gains made in recent years. She said opposition to school choice from parents on both sides of the political aisle in Mississippi is growing.

Ben Bush, a former U.S. Army Ranger combat veteran from Brandon, shares with Mississippi Today his personal story of his struggle with PTSD after returning home from overseas combat, and how the psychedelic plant-derived drug ibogaine helped him regain his life. But he had to travel to Mexico for the treatment. It's illegal in the United States. House Public Health Chairman Sam Creekmore wants to change that, and he wants Mississippi to invest in testing the drug and help push for federal approval.

Description: Mississippi Today reporter Alex Rozier gives an update on the city of Jackson's third-party water utility system, how the organization's request to raise the water rates on customers in the capital city is playing out in federal court and if the water system can sustain natural disasters in the future.

Mississippi Today reporters Michael Goldberg and Taylor Vance recount their recent trip to Washington, D.C., and meetings with the state's congressional delegation, covering topics including the use of National Guard troops in U.S. cities — potentially even in Jackson — disaster relief policies and the debate over the release of the Epstein files.