Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
12:42 am Sunday, September 1, 2002

Musgrove's power play

By Staff
Sept. 1, 2002
Make no mistake: This week's special session is nothing more than a blatant power play by a governor interested in strengthening and flexing his political muscle.
Gov. Ronnie Musgrove says he wants lawmakers on Thursday to fund private prisons, help doctors find affordable malpractice insurance and then consider reforms to the state's civil justice system.
But the real reason for the special session is Musgrove's desire for prison money, a move that could set a legislative precedent and, in a backhanded way, strengthen the governor's veto power.
Musgrove's special session is, indeed, a sly political move by a man whose deteriorating relationship with state lawmakers  and, in particular, House and Senate leaders is growing more uneasy by the day.
So let's look closer at what's really happening at the state Capitol.
Musgrove says a special session is necessary to fund private prisons because the Legislature refused to consider his partial veto of a budget bill earlier this year to fund the entire prison system.
House and Senate members, backed by state Attorney General Mike Moore who may challenge Musgrove, a fellow Democrat, for governor next year  say the governor had no authority for the veto.
Therefore, they say, private prisons are fully funded.
Nevertheless, Musgrove won't back down. The governor asked lawmakers to fund the prisons in a special session last month; they refused. So he's turned his attention to Thursday.
And that leads to this key point: Some lawmakers fear that by approving prison funding this time, they also would validate Musgrove's veto earlier this year and inadvertently strengthen his veto powers.
Musgrove, though, is one step ahead of lawmakers.
When he first announced the special session, he told lawmakers they could consider a plan to help doctors get medical malpractice insurance. But lawmakers could do so only after they approve the prison funding.
Then he said he would let them consider general changes to the state's civil justice system that has been criticized for its multi-million-dollar jury awards. But lawmakers could do so only after solving the malpractice issue.
It's an unusual plan, a three-part special session in which lawmakers can't deal with other issues until they settle prison funding first.
And Musgrove did it that way because he could. In Mississippi, only the governor can call legislators into special session and only the governor can decide which issues they will consider.
Caught in the middle is the fate of medical malpractice insurance and civil justice reform, arguably the two most pressing issues facing the state today.
Some doctors are threatening to move their practices out of state because they can't get malpractice insurance. Others are ending their practices or closing their medical clinics for the same reason.
Besides that, Mississippi continues to reap negative publicity nationwide for perceived problems with a civil justice system some say has created a bad business climate and is giving the state a bad reputation.
Musgrove, meanwhile, is piddling away with private prisons, trying to strengthen his political power and gain the upper hand over a Legislature that historically in Mississippi has always been the stronger branch.
It's a power-play many lawmakers have seen coming. And it's a power-play that has angered and frustrated many House and Senate members  just ask state Sen. Terry Burton, D-Newton.

Also on Franklin County Times
Thorpe to play at Blue Mountain Christian
High School Sports, News, Russellville, ...
Brannon King For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE – Brennon Thorpe made his plans official to attend Blue Mountain Christian University and play baseball for the Toppers during a recent s...
Russellville High Class of 1967 gathers, reminisces
Columnists, News, Opinion, ...
HERE AND NOW
July 16, 2025
You can’t really go back to the good old days of high school, but you can pay them a visit now and then. That’s exactly what the RHS Class of 1967 has...
Former Cypress Lakes official to lead Guntersville State Park
Lifestyles, News
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
GUNTERSVILLE — Heath Puckett had an Auburn University degree and golf course superintendent certification in his pocket when he arrived at Cypress Lak...
European travel builds bonds across cultures
Lifestyles, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE -- A group of Franklin County travelers spent nine days this summer walking through catacombs, exploring castles and standing in places w...
Little Free Library welcomes readers in East Franklin
Lifestyles, News, Phil Campbell
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — Eleven-year-old Aiden Hall is an avid reader, but he doesn’t just want to read books. He also wants to share them, and the way he deci...
King becomes elementary curriculum director
Lifestyles, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
RUSSELVILLE — Molly King says every child can learn, though not necessarily in the same way or on the same day — a belief she plans to carry into her ...
New Junior Leaders begin their training
Franklin County, News
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 16, 2025
FRANKLIN COUNTY — Forty-two high school students from across Franklin County are beginning 10 months of hands-on leadership training and community ser...
Fire destroys 2-story garage, guest suite
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
July 16, 2025
R U S S E L LV I L L E – Jason Gist leaned against the wall of his home with a look of disgust while dozens of firefighters worked to extinguish a fir...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Stories
July 4, 2025Augusto Simon Diaz, 42, of Russellville, passed away July 4. Visitation and funeral were held at Spry Memorial Chapel on July 12 from 2pm ...
July 16, 2025
July 8, 2025Jamie Kerby Cummings, 41, of Russellville, passed away on July 8. Visitation took place July 13, at Spry Memorial Chapel from 1 pm to 3pm....
July 16, 2025
July 11,2025Julie “JuJu” Welch Black, 63, of Russellville, passed away on July 11.Graveside service was held at 1pm on July 13, at Belgreen Cemetery w...
July 16, 2025
July 9, 2025Scott Noel Benford, age 58, of Muscle Shoals, passed away on July 9. Visitation was held at Pinkard Funeral Home in Russellville on July 1...
July 16, 2025