MS Gov. Tate Reeves delivers State of the State address. Democrat Brandon Presley responds

Last year may have been the best year in state history if you ask its governor, but his potential Democratic opponent in the upcoming gubernatorial election is not so sure.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves declared the State of the State to be strong, as a cool mist fell over the south steps of the Mississippi State Capitol. Behind him, many legislators, statewide officials, and even award-winning music trio Chapel Hart looked on.

Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley, who has also filed to run for governor, gave his party's response at a very different location: the former emergency room of a shuttered hospital in Newton.

The locations were not the only difference between the speeches. The view they each presented of the political, economic and social reality in Mississippi also differed drastically.

"Today, it’s a cold-hard-fact that really, really good things are happening in Mississippi. And it’s my honor to stand before you today and announce that the state of our state is stronger than ever," Reeves said, citing economic development, job growth, teacher pay raises and the state's fight against liberal social policies.

In order to continue gains in economic growth, Reeves again called for the legislature to eliminate the state income tax. Last year the House voted to do so, but the legislation did not reach the floor of the Senate after opposition from Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann. Ultimately, the two sides agreed to the largest tax cut in state history, but not full elimination.

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Reeves said some days have been more challenging than others during his three years in office, which has coincided with a record number of declared disasters as the state weathered hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and a global pandemic. But still, Reeves said the wins have outweighed the losses, citing economic development projects that have been secured in a dozen Mississippi cities, "just to name a few of the places that we announced investments this last year."

One city that Reeves did not name in terms of development was the state's capital, and the city in which the speech was delivered, Jackson. Last year saw Jackson's water system completely collapse, leaving residents without drinkable water for nearly 50 days. Reeves oversaw temporary state involvement in the city's water system, which eventually saw service restored, but also sparred with city officials on multiple occasions, particularly Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba.

Reeves did name Jackson in one context: crime.

"To put it mildly, the crime situation in Jackson is unacceptable. Kids are getting killed in our streets and it’s time we put a stop to it," Reeves said.

While Reeves focused on crime in Jackson, an opinion piece published by Magnolia Tribune the day before by State Auditor Shad White painted a slightly different image of Mississippi's crime problem. While it is true, White said, that Jackson has one of the highest — if not the highest — homicide rates in the nation, Mississippi's homicide problem goes beyond its capital city. Citing data from the Heritage Foundation, White said that Mississippi remains more dangerous than 48 other states even once Hinds County is removed from the data.

In order to address crime in Jackson, Reeves has proposed a further expansion of the Capitol Police, a force that is overseen by the state but that operates within large swaths of the city. His budget recommendation would see its budget increased by more than $4.5 million, allowing for about 150 new officers to be hired. Reeves credits Capitol Police with a reduction in crime in the areas they patrol. They were also involved in more than a dozen shootings in 2022.

Reeves also celebrated gains in the state's education system, including teacher pay raises and increases to the state's graduation rates and fourth grade reading scores.

"A little over a week ago we announced – for the third time since I’ve been governor – that Mississippi’s high school graduation rate hit an all-time high and continues to be better than the national average. And like our state’s economic growth, our education improvements didn’t happen by accident. Our state’s stellar report card didn’t just appear out of thin air. Mississippi insisted on getting kids back into school when other blue states stayed closed, and now we have the best education numbers in our state’s history," Reeves said.

Reeves spent a significant portion of his speech championing Mississippi's fight against "Joe Biden and the national Democrats who seek to force feed us an unhealthy dose of progressivism because they view Mississippians as neanderthals."

In particular, the governor decried the prospect of allowing transgender youth to receive gender affirming care and said schools should not have policies that students must be called by their preferred name or pronoun, rather than those listed on the student's birth certificate.

"There is a dangerous and radical movement that is now being pushed upon America’s kids. It threatens the very nature of truth. Across the country, activists are advancing untested experiments and persuading kids that they can live as a girl if they’re a boy, and that they can live as a boy if they’re a girl. And they’re telling them to pursue expensive, radical medical procedures to advance that lie," Reeves said.

Presley's speech focused far less on hot-button social issues. He began his speech by introducing himself to the people of Mississippi.

"I grew up in North Mississippi, in a small town called Nettleton. It’s not a one-stoplight town. It’s a no-stoplight town. It’s a little dot on the map and like many towns in Mississippi, it’s the kind of place that Tate Reeves probably doesn’t know exists and doesn’t care about," Presley said.

By being chosen to give the Democratic Party's response, the Nettleton native and second cousin of Elvis, can likely be considered the front-runner for the Democratic nomination for governor. Two of Reeves' most prominent potential Republican opponents, Secretary of State Michael Watson and former Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr., decided against challenging him in the Republican primary, making a Reeves-Presley collision even more likely.

"Tonight, I listened to Governor Reeves’s State of the State address. I’ve watched his 'leadership' over the years, and I know and see what you know and see. Mississippi is full of good people, but we are led by horrible politicians and it’s time for that to change," Presley said. "The reality is, under Tate Reeves’ leadership, we are moving in the wrong direction."

Presley specifically cited the state's hospital crisis. With more than half of rural hospitals at immediate risk of closure, Presley is pushing for the expansion of Medicaid, a move that a recent Mississippi Today poll found 80% of respondents supported, including 70% of those identifying as Republicans.

"By extending Medicaid to the working people of our state, we can keep hospitals across Mississippi from experiencing the same fate as this one," Presley said. "All Tate Reeves has to do is lift his hand, take an ink pen, and sign on a line. Instead, he lacks the backbone and he will sit on his hands while people lose their jobs, some lose their lives and our hospitals suffer. When Tate Reeves finally wakes up and asks why hospitals are closing, he should look in the mirror."

During his speech, Reeves shot down the idea that Medicaid should be expanded, saying that it will not save Mississippi's struggling hospitals.

"This legislative session, I urge the legislature to think outside the box when it comes to improving Mississippi’s healthcare system. Don’t simply cave under the pressure of Democrats and their allies in the media who are pushing for the expansion of Obamacare, welfare, and socialized medicine," Reeves said.

Reeves instead calls for embracing changes in technology and allowing for more healthcare facilities to be opened, in contrast to previous attempts to limit competition.

Another clear point of disagreement came in regard to the largest public fraud scheme in Mississippi history.

Reeves vowed to bring those responsible to justice.

"That’s why my administration remains committed to delivering justice and recouping every dollar possible from those who stole from Mississippians through the theft of TANF dollars," Reeves said. "Again, I ran for governor to fix Mississippi’s problems, not to hide them."

Presley, though, sought to tie Reeves to the scandal, despite it occurring under his predecessor, fellow Republican Phil Bryant.

"He’s been caught in the middle of the largest public corruption scandal in our state’s history, $77 million dollars of taxpayer money that should have gone to working families that are struggling instead went to help build a volleyball court. A volleyball court! And paid for speeches by famous people that were never given. Some was even given to Tate Reeves’ own personal trainer. And you should tune in because we are only just now learning how bad and possibly illegal all of this activity was," Presley said.

Presley closed his speech vowing to fight corruption and corporate influence in state politics, along with eliminating the state's tax on groceries.

Reeves and Presley will not know whom they will face in their party primaries, if anyone, until candidate filing closes Wednesday. The primaries will take place in August, with the general election coming Nov. 7. Between now and then are two more months of legislative session, and a summer of campaigning across the state.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: State of the State: Reeves and Presley spar over where MS stands