Tate Reeves: No plans to call special session

BILOXI — Gov. Tate Reeves informed reporters throughout a Tuesday press convention he has no rapid plans to name lawmakers to Jackson for a particular session.

Meaning Mississippi isn’t any nearer to having a medical marijuana program or funding an incentive program that retains nurses and well being care employees from leaving their hospitals jobs at alarming charges.

With out a particular session, lawmakers gained’t meet till the common session begins on Jan. 4. Nurses and hospital leaders have informed Mississippi At the moment for the final two months they can’t wait that lengthy.

Hospitals are anticipating the nursing and well being care employee scarcity to develop worse this winter, leaving hospitals statewide to shut lots of of extra beds that needs to be open to sufferers. In a letter despatched to Reeves on Nov. 5, chief nursing officers at 36 hospitals throughout Mississippi begged the governor to step in.

“Chief Nursing Officers are predicting that employees shortages will lead to closing over 500 acute care hospital beds over the upcoming months,” the nurses wrote within the letter. “The scarcity is pushed by losses within the nursing workforce that are attributable to burnout, fatigue and, to a rising extent, nurses who took journey nursing positions and made considerably greater wages and now want to take day without work.”

When Mississippi At the moment broke the story in regards to the nurses’ letter on Friday, Reeves’ workplace had not responded to submitted questions in regards to the nursing disaster. The governor had beforehand mentioned publicly that he would take into account an incentive program and was in dialogue with legislators a couple of particular session.

However on Tuesday, Reeves was in Biloxi on the Gulf Coast Coliseum to announce how the state would spend $62 million in federal funds associated to 2010’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill on south Mississippi initiatives.

On the occasion, a reporter requested Reeves particularly if he had any short-term plans to deal with the rapid wants of hospitals and nursing employees. He didn’t deal with the query straight, as a substitute giving a five-minute reply that spoke solely to the state’s ongoing, long-term workforce improvement plans.

Legislative leaders, nevertheless, have already got a invoice they wrote weeks in the past that will create a funding program to help the state’s struggling hospitals. Their proposed program would enable hospitals to offer their most in-demand employees a $5,000 bonus for agreeing to remain at their job for at the least 5 extra months.

They despatched that bill, together with a promised settlement between the Home and Senate, to the governor on Sept. 30. However the could-be program funding can’t be allotted this 12 months until Reeves calls a particular session to permit lawmakers to formally go it.

Hospitals leaders have repeatedly mentioned all through the pandemic their incapability to compete with salaries from out-of-state hospitals and momentary staffing is the principle motive they’re hemorrhaging well being care employees.

“We now have a labor scarcity in just about each trade in Mississippi proper now,” Reeves mentioned in response to Mississippi At the moment’s query. “The explanation we’ve got a labor scarcity in Mississippi is as a result of we’ve got a labor scarcity in just about each trade in America due to the far-left insurance policies of the Biden administration.”

Reeves — after explaining how highschool commencement charges have improved underneath his administration — identified the state has a scarcity of respiratory therapists, medical doctors and “each well being care sector,” emphasizing it’s an issue each state is going through.

“We’ve obtained to proceed to encourage an increasing number of Mississippians to enter the sphere of well being care and we are going to proceed to take action,” Reeves mentioned. “It’s definitely a difficulty, and one which we’re conscious of, and persevering with to have a look at methods to deal with it.”

In a latest interview with Mississippi At the moment, a Singing River nurse mentioned 12 folks left her nursing employees in only one week. From March 2020 to mid September, the hospital system — which has three hospitals on the Gulf Coast — misplaced 289 nurses, or greater than a 3rd of its total nursing employees.

Singing River’s management has been vocal in regards to the scarcity. Hospital CEO Lee Bond is pushing lawmakers to make a fair broader incentive program that provides nurses $20,000 bonuses unfold over two years.

In the meantime, legislative leaders proceed to await phrase from the governor a couple of potential particular session relating to medical marijuana. Legislative leaders labored all summer time to draft a invoice after the Mississippi Supreme Courtroom struck down a medical marijuana initiative that was overwhelmingly accredited by Mississippi voters in 2020.

Reeves, over the summer time, usually mentioned he was open to calling a particular session for medical marijuana and even the nursing disaster stopgap. However since lawmakers finalized payments for each applications, the governor has remained silent about whether or not he’ll name a particular session in any respect.

“I’ve not heard something from him or his employees about (a well being care employee funding) invoice, medical marijuana or the rest,” Speaker of the House Philip Gunn told Mississippi Today last week.

Rep. Robert Johnson, the Democratic Home chief, final week joined a rising refrain of lawmakers who say passing a medical marijuana program throughout a particular session would free them as much as focus extra on urgent points once they return into common session in January.

“With every thing we have to do with this state, that we’re going to spend even a day on one thing that has been talked about a lot bothers me,” Johnson said on Mississippi Today’s “The Other Side” podcast. “It continues to be a shifting goal, and we’re going to finish up spending most of our session debating medical marijuana when we’ve got so many different points to deal with.”

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by Sara DiNatale, Mississippi At the moment
November 9, 2021

<h1>Gov. Reeves: No rapid plans to name particular session for nursing disaster, medical marijuana</h1> by Sara DiNatale, Mississippi At the moment November 9, 2021

BILOXI — Gov. Tate Reeves informed reporters throughout a Tuesday press convention he has no rapid plans to name lawmakers to Jackson for a particular session.
Meaning Mississippi isn’t any nearer to having a medical marijuana program or funding an incentive program that retains nurses and well being care employees from leaving their hospitals jobs at alarming charges.
With out a particular session, lawmakers gained’t meet till the common session begins on Jan. 4. Nurses and hospital leaders have informed Mississippi At the moment for the final two months they can’t wait that lengthy.
Hospitals are anticipating the nursing and well being care employee scarcity to develop worse this winter, leaving hospitals statewide to shut lots of of extra beds that needs to be open to sufferers. In a letter despatched to Reeves on Nov. 5, chief nursing officers at 36 hospitals throughout Mississippi begged the governor to step in.
“Chief Nursing Officers are predicting that employees shortages will lead to closing over 500 acute care hospital beds over the upcoming months,” the nurses wrote within the letter. “The scarcity is pushed by losses within the nursing workforce that are attributable to burnout, fatigue and, to a rising extent, nurses who took journey nursing positions and made considerably greater wages and now want to take day without work.” 
<robust>READ MORE:</robust> <a href=”https://mississippitoday.org/2021/11/05/mississippi-nursing-shortage-tate-reeves/” goal=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Nurses beg Gov. Tate Reeves to behave as they face statewide hospital staffing disaster</a>
When Mississippi At the moment broke the story in regards to the nurses’ letter on Friday, Reeves’ workplace had not responded to submitted questions in regards to the nursing disaster. The governor had beforehand mentioned publicly that he would take into account an incentive program and was in dialogue with legislators a couple of particular session.
However on Tuesday, Reeves was in Biloxi on the Gulf Coast Coliseum to announce how the state would spend $62 million in federal funds associated to 2010’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill on south Mississippi initiatives.
On the occasion, a reporter requested Reeves particularly if he had any short-term plans to deal with the rapid wants of hospitals and nursing employees. He didn’t deal with the query straight, as a substitute giving a five-minute reply that spoke solely to the state’s ongoing, long-term workforce improvement plans.
Legislative leaders, nevertheless, have already got a invoice they wrote weeks in the past that will create a funding program to help the state’s struggling hospitals. Their proposed program would enable hospitals to offer their most in-demand employees a $5,000 bonus for agreeing to remain at their job for at the least 5 extra months.
They despatched <a href=”https://mississippitoday.org/2021/11/05/mississippi-nursing-shortage-tate-reeves/” goal=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>that invoice</a>, together with a promised settlement between the Home and Senate, to the governor on Sept. 30. However the could-be program funding can’t be allotted this 12 months until Reeves calls a particular session to permit lawmakers to formally go it. 
Hospitals leaders have repeatedly mentioned all through the pandemic their incapability to compete with salaries from out-of-state hospitals and momentary staffing is the principle motive they’re hemorrhaging well being care employees. 
“We now have a labor scarcity in just about each trade in Mississippi proper now,” Reeves mentioned in response to Mississippi At the moment’s query. “The explanation we’ve got a labor scarcity in Mississippi is as a result of we’ve got a labor scarcity in just about each trade in America due to the far-left insurance policies of the Biden administration.”
Reeves — after explaining how highschool commencement charges have improved underneath his administration — identified the state has a scarcity of respiratory therapists, medical doctors and “each well being care sector,” emphasizing it’s an issue each state is going through. 
“We’ve obtained to proceed to encourage an increasing number of Mississippians to enter the sphere of well being care and we are going to proceed to take action,” Reeves mentioned. “It’s definitely a difficulty, and one which we’re conscious of, and persevering with to have a look at methods to deal with it.”
In a latest interview with Mississippi At the moment, a Singing River nurse mentioned 12 folks left her nursing employees in only one week. From March 2020 to mid September, the hospital system — which has three hospitals on the Gulf Coast — misplaced 289 nurses, or greater than a 3rd of its total nursing employees. 
<robust>READ MORE</robust>: <a href=”https://mississippitoday.org/2021/10/28/mississippi-state-funded-nurses-contract-ends-hospital-crisis/” goal=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>A brand new hospital disaster: Mississippi loses lots of of nurses</a>
Singing River’s management has been vocal in regards to the scarcity. Hospital CEO Lee Bond is pushing lawmakers to make a fair broader incentive program that provides nurses $20,000 bonuses unfold over two years.
In the meantime, legislative leaders proceed to await phrase from the governor a couple of potential particular session relating to medical marijuana. Legislative leaders labored all summer time to draft a invoice after the Mississippi Supreme Courtroom struck down a medical marijuana initiative that was overwhelmingly accredited by Mississippi voters in 2020.
Reeves, over the summer time, usually mentioned he was open to calling a particular session for medical marijuana and even the nursing disaster stopgap. However since lawmakers finalized payments for each applications, the governor has remained silent about whether or not he’ll name a particular session in any respect.
“I’ve not heard something from him or his employees about (a well being care employee funding) invoice, medical marijuana or the rest,” <a href=”https://mississippitoday.org/2021/11/05/mississippi-nursing-shortage-tate-reeves/” goal=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Speaker of the Home Philip Gunn informed Mississippi At the moment final week.</a>
Rep. Robert Johnson, the Democratic Home chief, final week joined a rising refrain of lawmakers who say passing a medical marijuana program throughout a particular session would free them as much as focus extra on urgent points once they return into common session in January. 
“With every thing we have to do with this state, that we’re going to spend even a day on one thing that has been talked about a lot bothers me,” <a href=”https://mississippitoday.org/2021/11/08/rep-robert-johnson-arpa/” goal=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Johnson mentioned on Mississippi At the moment’s “The Different Aspect” podcast</a>. “It continues to be a shifting goal, and we’re going to finish up spending most of our session debating medical marijuana when we’ve got so many different points to deal with.”
<robust>READ MORE</robust>: <a href=”https://mississippitoday.org/2021/10/28/reeves-medical-marijuana-session/” goal=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Gov. Tate Reeves dodging on promised particular session</a>

This <a goal=”_blank” href=”https://mississippitoday.org/2021/11/09/tate-reeves-special-session/”>article</a> first appeared on <a goal=”_blank” href=”https://mississippitoday.org”>Mississippi At the moment</a> and is republished right here underneath a Artistic Commons license.<img src=”https://i1.wp.com/mississippitoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/MT_square-thumb.jpg?match=150percent2C150&ssl=1″ model=”width:1em;top:1em;margin-left:10px;”><img id=”republication-tracker-tool-source” src=”https://mississippitoday.org/?republication-pixel=true&submit=1018138&ga=UA-75003810-1″ model=”width:1px;top:1px;”>

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