Mississippi Edition

The Governor roll backs restrictions on mask wearing and gatherings while advocating vaccinations.

Then, the long-promised teacher pay raise sits in legislative limbo. We look at how and if the raise will come this year.

Plus, after a Southern Remedy Health Minute, we examine how yesterday's Supreme Court hearing could affect voting rights in Mississippi. 

Segment 1:

Mississippians will no longer be required to wear a mask in public. Yesterday, Governor Tate Reeves announced he is rolling back many of restrictions designed to combat transmission of the coronavirus. Reeves said with a steep decline in hospitalizations and deaths, it is time for Mississippi to open up.

While government orders requiring masks and limiting gatherings are going away, public health guidance still places heavy reliance on those mitigation strategies. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs is strongly encouraging those who have not yet been vaccinated to continue safe practices.

Segment 2:

For the second year in a row, members of the Mississippi Senate are including a teacher pay raise on their list of top priorities. This session, the Senate passed a stand-alone bill that included a raise and lifted the salary floor for new teachers. That bill had until yesterday to clear House committees. MPB's Ashley Norwood caught up with Senate Education Chair Dennis Debar on Deadline Day.

Segment 3:

Southern Remedy Health Minute

Segment 4:

A recent Supreme Court hearing could go a long way in deciding how new voting restrictions will be judged under the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The high court heard arguments in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee yesterday. Following the last year's general election, Republican-controlled state legislatures across the country are offering up new voting laws that could limit the ability to vote and create additional barriers to the ballot box. Ezra Rosenberg, co-director of the Voting Rights Project, shares more.