Sen. Brice Wiggins, a prominent Republican member of the Mississippi Senate from Pascagoula, broke ranks with most members of his party in the state today as he criticized President Donald Trump’s ongoing pardon spree.
With COVID-19 cases ramping up, Mississippi’s capital city and several others have run out of ICU beds.
Mississippi House Rep. Jeramey Anderson announced his campaign today to become the next mayor of Moss Point, his native city, which is located just north of Pascagoula in coastal Jackson County.
Mississippi reported 1,612 new COVID-19 cases today—more than on any day since July 30, when the summer surge hit its peak with 1,775 cases. The Mississippi State Department of Health also reported an additional eight deaths today.
More Mississippians have already requested more absentee ballots for this year’s presidential election than did so during the last one four years ago. Mississippi Secretary
Gov. Reeves revealed plans to re-enact mask mandates in nine counties, including DeSoto, Jackson, Lee, Forrest, Lamar, Itawamba, Neshoba, Claiborne and Chickasaw counties.
Four in 10 residents was the average number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in those for-profit long-term-care facilities. One possible factor: The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration had already cited 80% of Mississippi’s nursing homes for infection-control problems before the pandemic hit.
Mississippians will not be required to wear masks as they enter polling places on Election Day—but poll workers may ask masked voters to momentarily remove their masks to verify their identities. The mask rules are part of a set of COVID-19 “Polling Place Safety” rules that Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson’s office formalized this week.
Mississippi voters could have the opportunity to begin voting in person on absentee ballots with no excuse necessary if the Legislature adopts a bill a bipartisan group of three Mississippi House representatives proposed today. Without changes, most Mississippi voters will have to vote in person on Election Day with few exceptions—and without a statewide mask mandate in place as of the governor’s decision yesterday.
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