Bobby Harrison
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Articles by Bobby Harrison
House speaker's poll: Mississippians want to eliminate property tax even if it means higher retail costs
Mississippians seem to be providing contradictory responses to questions asked in a recent poll commissioned by state Republican House Speaker Jason White. On the one hand, according to the 501 people questioned in the scientific poll, their top priority was inflation or the cost of most retail goods, such as clothes, groceries, gasoline and many other items. kAmqFE @? E96 @E96C 92?5[ 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 E9@D6 A@==65 D2J E96J H@F=5 72G@C 6=:>:?2E:?8 E96 E2I @? AC:>2CJ C6D:56?46D W@C @?
House speaker’s poll: Mississippians want to eliminate property tax even if it means higher retail costs
Mississippians seem to be providing contradictory responses to questions asked in a recent poll commissioned by state Republican House Speaker Jason White. On the one hand, according to the 501 people questioned in the scientific poll, their top priority was inflation or the cost of most retail goods, such as clothes, groceries, gasoline and many other items.
House speaker's poll: Mississippians want to eliminate property tax even if it means higher retail costs
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Jason White's poll on vouchers ignores strong test results in Mississippi public schools
House Speaker Jason White – or at least the poll he commissioned – does not seem to be embracing what has become known as the “Mississippi miracle” that references the state’s dramatic gains on some national education tests. While Mississippi still has numerous hills to climb in terms of improving its education system, there is no doubt the state has made impressive strides. kAm#6AF3=:42? v@G] %2E6 #66G6D 2?5 @E96CD @7E6?
Jason White’s poll on vouchers ignores strong test results in Mississippi public schools
House Speaker Jason White – or at least the poll he commissioned – does not seem to be embracing what has become known as the “Mississippi miracle” that references the state’s dramatic gains on some national education tests. While Mississippi still has numerous hills to climb in terms of improving its education system, there is no doubt the state has made impressive strides. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and others often tout those improvements.
White's poll on vouchers ignores strong test results in public schools
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Shad White blames Bennie Thompson for Delta woes. Is that fair?
Based on state Auditor Shad White’s logic, it is time to clean house of all Republican and Democratic Mississippi politicians on both the state and federal level. At a recent public hearing about legislative redistricting, the Republican White argued that Mississippi’s congressional map should be redrawn with the intention of removing U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson from office.
Shad White blames Bennie Thompson for Delta woes. Is that fair?
Based on state Auditor Shad White’s logic, it is time to clean house of all Republican and Democratic Mississippi politicians on both the state and federal level. At a recent public hearing about legislative redistricting, the Republican White argued that Mississippi’s congressional map should be redrawn with the intention of removing U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson from office.
Shad White blames Bennie Thompson for Delta woes. Is that fair?
14 hours ago The president also floated the idea of naming an ocean after himself. President Donald Trump on Saturday floated the idea of renaming more bodies of water, following his efforts to change the names of the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario. “We’ve got the gulf. We’ve got a beautiful lake,” Trump said at …
Shad White blames Bennie Thompson for Delta woes. Is that fair?
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State budget wheels go round and round
The process of developing a state budget for Mississippi is never-ending. There are steps in the process occuring nearly year-round. Work in earnest – at least the work seen by the public – began last week on Mississippi’s $32-plus billion state budget to fund education, public healthcare, law enforcement, transportation and other services. kAm%96 `c\>6>36C y@:?E {68:D=2E:G6 qF586E r@>>:EE66 >6E AF3=:4=J 7@C EH@ 52JD E@ 962C 7C@> D@>6 DE2E6 286?4J =6256CD @?
Mississippi’s state budget wheels go round and round
The process of developing a state budget for Mississippi is never-ending. There are steps in the process occuring nearly year-round. Work in earnest – at least the work seen by the public – began last week on Mississippi’s $32-plus billion state budget to fund education, public healthcare, law enforcement, transportation and other services.
Politicians' superpower might allow them to avoid blame for rising healthcare costs
The secret superpower of politicians is that we, the voting public, often do not understand how their actions or inactions impact us, thus allowing elected officials to escape consequences. They know this, but will never admit it. kAm%2<6 962=E942C6 :? |:DD:DD:AA:[ 7@C :?DE2?46] p== 7:G6 #6AF3=:42? >6>36CD @7 |:DD:DD:AA:’D 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 56=682E:@?
Politicians’ superpower might allow them to avoid blame for rising healthcare costs
The secret superpower of politicians is that we, the voting public, often do not understand how their actions or inactions impact us, thus allowing elected officials to escape consequences. They know this, but will never admit it. Take healthcare in Mississippi, for instance. All five Republican members of Mississippi’s congressional delegation voted against extending the enhanced tax credits or subsidies for the Affordable Care Act Marketplace insurance policies.
Avoiding the blame for rising healthcare costs
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Safe drinking water is human right, UN says, despite 5th Circuit ruling in Jackson case
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful ideas to be shared about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here.
25 years later, even small events from Sept. 11 remain etched in the mind
On Sept. 11, 2001, media members working in the fourth floor pressroom of the Mississippi Capitol were keeping an eye on a portable television on a filing cabinet. The immediacy of the internet was not then what it is today, so the small box television was the only instant access to the outside world. It was difficult to stop watching the television. kAmp 4@>>6C4:2= ;6E 925 2=C625J 366? D66? @? ?2E:@?2= E6=6G:D:@? :? C62= E:>6 D=2>>:?8 :?E@ E96 D@FE9 E@H6C @7 E96 (@C=5 %C256 r6?E6C :?
25 years later, even small events from Sept. 11 remain etched in the mind
On Sept. 11, 2001, media members working in the fourth floor pressroom of the Mississippi Capitol were keeping an eye on a portable television on a filing cabinet. The immediacy of the internet was not then what it is today, so the small box television was the only instant access to the outside world. It was difficult to stop watching the television. A commercial jet had already been seen on national television in real time slamming into the south tower of the World Trade Center in New York.
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here. It is back to school season, and over 67,000 college students in Mississippi are relying on Pell Grants to help pay for college.
Mississippi’s last competitive US House races occurred in 2010. Will 2026 change the trend?
For a brief two-year period from 2008 until 2010, Democrats, despite not having won a presidential election in Mississippi since 1976, held three of the state’s four U.S. House seats. But Mississippi’s 2026 U.S. House races are happening in November against the backdrop that since 2010 Republicans have held three of the four seats.
Medicaid expansion would help overcome budget shortfall and harms of ‘big beautiful bill,’ physician says
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here. This summer has been full of big moments.
Scott Colom has a 'puncher's chance' against Cindy Hyde-Smith in Senate election
Mathematically speaking, Democrat Scott Colom’s chances of defeating Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy-Hyde-Smith this November might be underestimated. Many prediction markets give Democrats a near even money chance of capturing the Senate in the November midterm election, based on surprising polling numbers in usual red states including Texas, Alaska, Iowa and Ohio. kAmqFE ?6:E96C E9@D6 AC65:4E:@? >2C<6ED ?@C E96 s6>@4C2E:4 $6?2E@C:2= r2>A2:8? r@>>:EE66 2C6 4@F?E:?8 @?
Sen. Younger: Railroad merger is bad for Mississippi and bad for America
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here.
Scott Colom has a ‘puncher’s chance’ against Cindy Hyde-Smith in Senate election
Mathematically speaking, Democrat Scott Colom’s chances of defeating Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy-Hyde-Smith this November might be underestimated. Many prediction markets give Democrats a near even money chance of capturing the Senate in the November midterm election, based on surprising polling numbers in usual red states including Texas, Alaska, Iowa and Ohio.
Mississippi’s rural mental health crisis needs immediate action, social worker says
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here.
Treasurer David McRae urges parents to make saving for child’s future part of back-to-school routine
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here The hustle and bustle of a new school year has already begun, at least in the McRae household. It’s a time filled with new teachers, new school supplies and, of course, new routines.
Andy Gipson’s Muslim rhetoric doesn’t match the Woodie Guthrie classic he sings
Andy Gipson, Republican agriculture commissioner and gubernatorial candidate, sings a Woody Guthrie song on his latest compact disc – “God Bless America!” Gipson, who is also a part-time country crooner and a Baptist minister, belts out Guthrie’s iconic song “This Land Is Your Land.” The decision of Gipson to include folk legend Guthrie’s song amongst his patriotic collection of music is of note considering his recent comments about Muslim Americans.
Prediction markets, facing no Mississippi regulations, are targeting college campuses, policy expert warns
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here. This month, Mississippi parents will pack their 18-year-olds off to campuses across the state and worry about the usual things – homesickness, roommates and that first shaky attempt at independence.
Congress is playing politics with Mississippi’s disaster recovery, nonprofit watchdog says
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here. In the U.S., the number of billion-dollar disasters is increasing each year.
Scott Colom seeks to do the near impossible – defeat an incumbent Mississippi senator
Democrat Scott Colom is trying to do what has not been done since 1942 – defeat an incumbent United States senator from Mississippi. Colom, the district attorney for the Columbus area in parts of northeast and east central Mississippi, is considered a longshot to defeat Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith for a number of reasons.
Advocates: Public defenders in Hinds County give everything. It’s time to return the favor
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here. Imagine falling into the hardest of times – caring for a disabled spouse in old age or struggling with a sudden mental health crisis – all while facing something you never expected: a criminal case.
Mississippi should set rules before data centers continue growing, Sen. Hillman Frazier says
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here. Mississippi has an opportunity before it. Across the country, states are competing to attract data centers and the investment they promise.
Lynn Fitch hopes her campaign for governor exceeds previous best effort by woman, Evelyn Gandy in 1979
Attorney General Lynn Fitch is vying to do what has never been done in Mississippi and in 16 other states – be elected governor as a woman. The Republican attorney general completed a three-day tour of the state last week touting her qualifications after announcing she is joining what is expected to be a crowded field in 2027 to succeed Gov. Tate Reeves, who is term limited. Fitch is in her second term as attorney general after serving two terms as treasurer.
‘Moms’ Equal Pay Day’ highlights the struggles faced by many Mississippians
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here. Every day across Mississippi, mothers wake up early, get their children ready for school, go to work and do everything they can to provide for their families.
Mississippi Aquarium receives accolades after hosting marine veterinary medicine workshop
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here..
The age-old debate of election access vs. security is at center of current national debate
British jurist William Blackstone is cited with establishing the principle dating back to the 1700s that it is better for 10 guilty people to go free than one innocent person be incarcerated. That principle continues to be cited and debated. The debate even questions what would be the appropriate number of guilty people going free opposed to one innocent person suffering a conviction and punishment. A version of that principle also is at the center of a national debate about voting.
Money does grow on (family) tree, as daughter explains how her father lived vastly different life than racist grandfather, Gov. Vardaman
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here. The age-old expression “Money doesn’t grow on trees” applies in most cases with the exception of a branch on my family tree, the one grown by my father, Jim Money Vardaman.
Will the tobacco lawsuit settlement provide lessons for current leadership?
In a 2005 special session, the Mississippi Legislature was on the verge of selling a significant portion of its future annual tobacco lawsuit settlement funds for an immediate sum of money when a single phone call from the powerful House speaker stopped the process. Then-state Treasurer Tate Reeves, a Republican who is now in his second term as governor, had explained to legislative leaders how the process to sell the future payments would work.
Professor offers ‘modest proposal’ to accompany Mississippi’s Confederate Heritage Month
This essay is part of Mississippi Today Ideas, a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share fact-based ideas about our state’s past, present and future. You can read more about the section here. Gov. Tate Reeves is a big proponent of understanding and celebrating Mississippi’s history, sentiments that I heartily agree with.
Will the tobacco lawsuit settlement provide lessons for current leadership?
In a 2005 special session, the Mississippi Legislature was on the verge of selling a significant portion of its future annual tobacco lawsuit settlement funds for an immediate sum of money when a single phone call from the powerful House speaker stopped the process. Then-state Treasurer Tate Reeves, a Republican who is now in his second term as governor, had explained to legislative leaders how the process to sell the future payments would work.
Professor explains the importance of unwritten rules that create our social norms
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here.. My kids love Olive Garden – a lot. With an Italian last name like Barranco, I’ll admit I’m slightly embarrassed by how much they love what may be the most generic Italian restaurant in the country.
Rising health insurance exchange costs are bad news for Mississippi’s working poor
Mississippi had one of the nation’s largest declines in the Affordable Care Act health insurance exchange enrollment based on early 2026 numbers, meaning that it has become even more difficult for the state’s working poor to garner medical care. According to The Associated Press, Mississippi’s ACA health insurance exchange enrollment declined 26.4% from February 2025 to February 2026.
Tales of Donald Trump's involvement in the World Cup and Two Mississippi Museums
President Donald Trump’s insistence on interfering in the World Cup’s officiating and disciplinary actions and then bragging about his involvement conjure memories of how he horned in on the opening of the Two Mississippi Museums in 2017. Believe it or not, the president tends to want to make himself the center of attention regardless of his actual involvement. The World Cup and Two Mississippi Museums are examples of that, though their outcomes were vastly different.
‘Kidney chains’ could save lives and billions of healthcare dollars, advocates say
Editor’s note: Entertainer Pat Boone, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young and actor Robert Hays of “Airplane” fame signed on as authors of a guest essay provided by US Blood Donors.org for Mississippi Today on “Kidney Chains.” It is a process where people who plan to donate a kidney for a needy family member agree to allow their kidney to go to another recipient if the potential donor is not a match for the family member.
Tales of Donald Trump’s involvement in the World Cup and Two Mississippi Museums
President Donald Trump’s insistence on interfering in the World Cup’s officiating and disciplinary actions and then bragging about his involvement conjure memories of how he horned in on the opening of the Two Mississippi Museums in 2017. Believe it or not, the president tends to want to make himself the center of attention regardless of his actual involvement. The World Cup and Two Mississippi Museums are examples of that, though their outcomes were vastly different.
Twenty years later, Thad Cochran’s vision of Delta Health Alliance still impactful, CEO says
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here. For many Mississippians, the late Sen. Thad Cochran’s legacy is measured in roads, buildings, research centers and federal investments that changed communities across our state.
Writer becomes advocate fighting for ALS cure after 76 days of caring for loved one
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here.. On Aug. 9, 2018, I stood in the graduation rehearsal line with fellow, future graduates, who would walk across the stage the next day. Visually impaired since birth, I have never had a driver’s license.
America’s civil service protections were born from ‘Death by Lightning’ and put in jeopardy by Supreme Court
By Bobby Harrison | Originally published by Mississippi Today An epilogue should be added to the recently released streaming miniseries “Death by Lightning” explaining how this past week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision gutted the governmental reform that was at the heart of the historical drama – the inception of American civil service protections. “Death by Lightning” tells the story of James Garfield and his unlikely successful candidacy to become the nation’s 20th president in 1880.
On nation’s 250th birthday, tiny Itta Bena and the Mississippi Delta provide a window into America
Mississippi Today Ideas is a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share their ideas about our state’s past, present and future. Opinions expressed in guest essays are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Mississippi Today. You can read more about the section here..
Mississippi Democrats hope they are not left saying 'if' again after midterm election
‘If” has often been the refrain for many Mississippi Democrats after losing statewide elections, as they have done with regularity since 2003. “If we only had a candidate who could energize true Democrats to the polls, we could win those statewide elections,” is a paraphrase of the full refrain. kAm%92E “:7” 92D E@ 36 :? E96 324< @7 {@H?56D r@F?EJ s:DEC:4E pEE@C?6J $4@EE r@=@>’D >:?5 2D E96 s6>@4C2E 42>A2:8?D E@ FA6?5 :?4F>36?E #6AF3=:42? &]$] $6?] r:?5J wJ56\$>:E9 :?
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