Mississippi candidates bicker over state finances and taxes

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The two main candidates for Mississippi governor are accusing each other of wanting state government to dig deeper into people’s wallets.

Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood and Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves face two lower-profile candidates in the Nov. 5 election.

In separate appearances Wednesday, Reeves said he stands by his own record of pushing lawmakers to phase out the franchise tax, while Hood criticized the franchise tax cut as something that helps out-of-state corporations but not working people.

Hood supports a plan proposed by the state hospital association, to have hospitals pay for the state costs of Medicaid expansion. Hood says that would bring the state billions of dollars and keep rural hospitals alive. Reeves opposes Medicaid expansion and says hospitals would pass along their costs to patients.

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