Mississippi Edition

Lawmakers in the House introduce legislation to eliminate the Pink tax.

And, one leader from the hospital association weighs in on the debate on expanding Medicaid.

Then, Mississippi State University recognizes the power of storytellers.

Plus, in our Book Club: “I AM A MAN: Civil Rights Photographs in the American South, 1960–1970.”

Segment 1:

House Bill 1238 would exempt baby formula, diapers, feminine care and contraceptive products from the state’s 7 percent sales tax. Democratic Representative John Hines of Greenville authored the bill. He says a woman brought the issue to his attention, saying the products are a growing expense for low-income families. He tells our Desare Frazier his personal experience growing up with his mom and sisters helps inform his advocacy on this issue.

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A bill out of the Senate Medicaid committee is making its way to the House after passing the the chamber earlier this month. Senate Bill 2252, passed by the Senate on February 3rd, expands Medicaid for parolees and authorizes the construction of a special care facility for paroled inmates. Richard Roberson is the General Counsel for the Mississippi Hospital Association. He shares more about the potential legislation, and how it fits with the greater debate to expand Medicaid in Mississippi. 

Segment 2:

The Communications Department at Mississippi State University is celebrating a new era of storytelling in the state. "Story State: Fostering Innovative Storytelling" will feature more than a dozen storytellers - working in different genres - sharing their tips, experiences, and stories virtually today. Josh Foreman, chairman of the 2021 Story State planning committee, says everyone knows about Faulkner, Welty, Elvis and Robert Johnson. But as he shares with us, there are a whole lot of other great storytellers in Mississippi.

Segment 3:

William R. Ferris is a Mississippi native, author and scholar and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. He was commissioned to curate an exhibit and write the catalog for a collection of photos covering the civil rights movement from 1960 to 1970. The exhibit called, “I Am a Man,” recently opened at the two Mississippi Museums in Jackson after a record attending show in France. The catalog takes form in a hardbound book featuring the images of twelve photographers. We close out Black History Month with this book, about which Ferris says … “The photographs capture the quiet determination of elders and the angry commitment of the young, and they also remind us how far we have to go.”