Tate Reeves in Mississippi Today newspaper
On Budget & Economy:
As treasurer, decried state's reliance on borrowing money
Reeves became the state's youngest ever statewide elected official after defeating Gary Anderson, who had more than 15 years of state government experience as head of Department of Finance and Administration and deputy director of the Mississippi
Development Authority, the state's economic development agency.Reeves served two terms as treasurer and made a name for himself decrying the state's reliance on borrowing money. When running for lieutenant governor eight years later, he faced
political veteran and Senate Pro Tempore Billy Hewes. Many again highlighted Reeves' youth and lack of legislative experience; Reeves remained self-confident.
"After 20 years in the Legislature and hundreds of votes for more spending and billions more
in debt, it's heartwarming to know that Hewes has now finally realized with 50 days to go in this campaign that we need to reduce our debt burden," Reeves told the Associated Press during the 2011 primary campaign for lieutenant governor.
Source: MississippiToday.org on 2019 Mississippi Gubernatorial race
Jul 15, 2019
On Education:
$2 million for a private school vouchers
Reeves slipped $2 million for a private school voucher program in the eleventh hour of the 2019 legislative session, during his gubernatorial election year,
after giving public educators a nominal pay raise that prompted members of the largest association of public school teachers in the state to mull a strike.
Source: MississippiToday.org on 2019 Mississippi Gubernatorial race
Jul 15, 2019
On Families & Children:
No "Billy Graham rule": Treat female journalists the same
Just days after state Rep. Robert Foster said he wouldn't be alone with a woman not his wife, even in a professional context, a second Republican candidate for governor has said he, too, follows what's known as the "the Billy Graham rule."
Former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. told Mississippi Today that he would not be alone with a woman who isn't his wife, even in a personal or professional context.
Mississippi Today asked the campaign of Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, who is also running for governor and considered the front-runner, whether he follows the Billy Graham rule.
His campaign replied: "Provided they are fair to our campaign, we treat all journalists the same."
Democrat Jim Hood said he does not practice the Billy Graham rule.
Source: MississippiToday.org on 2019 Mississippi Gubernatorial race
Jul 15, 2019
On Principles & Values:
AdWatch: defend "In God We Trust" on new car tag
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves released a TV ad in June. In the ad, he promises to defend the new car tag, which features the state seal that reads "In God We Trust."He has since continued beating that drum, invoking the names of top Washington Democrats
and "out of state liberals," Antifa, Nike and Colin Kaepernick, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, former President Barack Obama and Eric Holder while boasting of his endorsement from the NRA and vowing to defend the state's new license tag.
Source: MississippiToday AdWatch:2018-2019 Mississippi Governor race
Jul 15, 2019
On Principles & Values:
Mississippi is headed in the right direction
Reeves' chief objective in his 2019 campaign for governor is convincing Mississippians that he's done more good than bad for Mississippi, that the state after his eight years of leadership over the Senate is on the right track and he should be given at
least four more years to build upon his body of work as Mississippi's chief executive.His strategy [is] to avoid talking about serious problems that still exist in the state as doing so could jeopardize his "good body of work" argument. When he does
talk policy on the trail, he touts gains made during his eight years in office such as increasing test scores and employment rates rather than forward-looking solutions.
"I think it's a pretty difficult argument to make that Mississippi isn't in far
better shape today than we were eight years ago, and I think that's why you're seeing people in places like these rally behind our campaign," Reeves said. "The voters know things are better off, and they know we're headed in the right direction."
Source: MississippiToday.org on 2019 Mississippi Gubernatorial race
Jul 15, 2019
On Government Reform:
Emails with PERS revealed by public records request
AG Jim Hood's opinion [on PERS retirement rules] apparently created a buzz among the Republican legislative leadership based on the correspondence they had with the administrators of the retirement system. The correspondence of legislators has long
been exempt from the state's public records laws, but Mississippi Today was able to obtain that correspondence through a public records request to the Public Employees Retirement System.Emails and others correspondence reveal that numerous key
Republican legislators, including Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, were receiving updates on how the PERS Board of Trustees might change its regulations to adhere to the AG's opinion. Hood said, "They should have to list those with whom they meet on legislation or
who wines & dines them."
When asked about Reeves' involvement, a spokesperson said, "The PERS board is working on regulations that adhere to federal law & maintain the health of the plan, and Lt. Gov. Reeves looks forward to seeing what they produce."
Source: Mississippi Today on 2019 Mississippi Gubernatorial race
Mar 14, 2019
On Technology:
Diverting $600M to Strategic Infrastructure Investment Fund
In order to create $600M over 5 years for the Strategic Infrastructure Investment Fund legislative leaders are contradicting their stated commitment to growing the state's reserve fund. "The goal is to reinstate the 2% set aside such that we only spend
98%," Lt. Gov. Reeves said in late November. "We also want to maintain and build our state's financial reserves." Reeves' new infrastructure proposal would accomplish the opposite. The new proposal would divert that entire 2% to the new fund.
Source: Mississippi Today on 2019 Mississippi Gubernatorial race
Jun 30, 2018
On Crime:
Blue Lives Matter: public safety workers in protected class
Lt. Gov. Reeves is signaling he will endorse measures that he says will support law enforcement. Reeves indicated he plans to get behind a so-called Blue Lives Matter bill as well as legislation to prohibit so-called sanctuary cities. In May,
Louisiana enacted a law that gave public safety workers similar protected class designation as racial and religious minorities. The change means crimes against law enforcement officers and paramedics could count as hate crimes under state law.
Source: Mississippi Today on 2019 Mississippi Gubernatorial race
Jan 9, 2017
On Immigration:
Supports law enforcement inquiry into immigration status
In addition, Reeves said that he would support legislation to prohibit cities from passing local ordinances that prevent law enforcement officers from inquiring about the immigration status of individuals they encounter. "I believe no local governments
or state entities have the ability to break our laws creating jurisdictions of amnesty for illegal aliens," Reeves said. "No governmental entity, whether it's city hall or on university campuses, is above following federal immigration law."
Source: Mississippi Today on 2019 Mississippi Gubernatorial race
Jan 9, 2017
On Civil Rights:
Backs bill for marriage between one man and one woman
House Bill 1523 singles out 3 religious beliefs as worthy of protection: that marriage is between one man and one woman; that people should not have sex outside such marriages; and that a person's gender is set at birth. The law˙protects anyone who
speaks out against gay marriage or transgenders because of these˙beliefs. Gov. Bryant and Lt. Gov. Reeves,˙two of˙the bill's most prominent advocates, said the state should stand by its law and appeal the ruling to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Source: Mississippi Today on Mississippi voting record: HB 1523
Jun 30, 2016
Page last updated: Dec 20, 2019