Mississippi's Lt. Governor is laying out an extensive and ambitious set of goals he hopes to accomplish in the 20-15 legislative session. Lt. Governor Tate Reeves says he will not shy away from controversial topics just because this is an election year.
Over the course 30 minutes, Reeves laid out his agenda at the Capitol in Jackson.
Among his goals are eliminating vehicle inspection stickers, putting public hospitals under open-meeting rules, reforming the state contracting process, reducing concealed carry gun fees, and altering the state's education spending formula.
Reeves says he also wants to spend 4-million dollars to increase the number of residency spots available to train doctors.
"This will put more doctors in Mississippi. Which is one solution to the challenge of providing good health care in every county in our state," Reeves said.
Reeves also expressed support for education vouchers for special needs students and hinted at a broad tax cut.
Democratic Minority Leader Bobby Moak of Bouge Chitto says there is a lot to digest, but says the Lt. Governor is missing a bigger opportunity by continuing to oppose Medicaid expansion, which could provide health coverage to roughly 130-thousand Mississippians.
"We see hospitals that are closing. Hospitals that are curtailing services. They are not going to need doctors. They are actually laying off nurses and curtailing doctor services in my part of the state and other parts of the state," Moak said.
The deadline for legislators to file bills was Monday.
Every year thousands of pieces of legislation are filed, but only a couple hundred survive the session.
