In the NewsToday at 4:00 p.m., Senator Cochran will speak at the vessel dedication of two new Seemann Composites NOAA research catamarans and the ribbon cutting of the expansion of the Seemann Composites facility. The event will be held at Seemann Composits, Inc. in Gulfport.
“The Supreme Court has affirmed that the Constitutional right of U. S. citizens to bear arms means what it says, and that the citizens of the District of Columbia in particular may not be prohibited from having a gun in their home, ” said Senator Cochran in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Article written by the Associated Press in the Clarion-Ledger on the decision:
Supreme Court strikes down D.C. gun ban
The Associated Press • June 26, 2008
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the justices’ first major pronouncement on gun rights in U.S. history.
The court’s 5-4 ruling struck down the District of Columbia’s 32-year-old ban on handguns as incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment. The decision went further than even the Bush administration wanted, but probably leaves most firearms laws intact.
The court had not conclusively interpreted the Second Amendment since its ratification in 1791. The amendment reads: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Click here to read the full article written by the Associated Press.
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We are also featuring Senator Cochran’s “Thad Country” commercial from his 2002 election. View this video directly from the homepage as well.
Finally, read a handwritten note from Senator Cochran by clicking on the featured graphic at the bottom right of the homepage.
Visit the new www.thadforsenate.com!
Click here to check out photographs of the MDOT sign dedication ceremony in Biloxi, Mississippi, honoring civil rights leader Dr. Gilbert R. Mason. Senator Cochran made remarks at the event along with Michael Janus, State Representative and South Mississippi Field Rep. for Cochran. Janus played a significant role in authoring a bill this year dedicating a stretch of Highway 90 in honor of Dr. Gilbert Mason.
Photo by Pat Morris
Senator Cochran addresses the crowd at the MDOT ceremony honoring Dr. Gilbert R. Mason, Sr.
For more photos of the event, visit our Events section.
Senator Cochran spoke on the U.S. Senate floor in opposition to climate change legislation in early June. He shared his concerns about the Climate Security Act of 2008. Read some of his remarks below.
“Mr. President, My staff members and I hear from Mississippians every day about the crippling effects of high energy prices. We all understand the need for increasing clean energy supplies and I hope that we will continue to work to do that, and to develop other innovative solutions to this great problem. But the bill we are now considering will not accomplish that goal.
Instead, this legislation will have a detrimental effect on our economy. It will contribute to higher overall costs of living, and it will be especially harmful to lower income families.
According to projections by the Energy Information Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, energy costs are projected to rise because of this legislation. Energy prices are already at an all time high. We cannot afford to increase these costs even further. By 2030, increased costs for delivered coal could range between 405 percent and 804 percent. Natural gas prices could rise between 34 percent and 107 percent. And, gasoline prices could go up to between 17 percent and 41 percent. Although the substitute amendment we are considering imposes yearly cost ceilings, these high prices will still be realized unless improbable advancements in alternative energy production such as 70 new nuclear reactors and 68 billion gallons of ethanol are produced.
Various projections of this bill show that not only will prices increase, Americans could lose jobs as industries struggle to keep costs down. I’m proud of the new era of manufacturing that Mississippi is entering. I don’t want Mississippians to lose jobs we have fought so hard to obtain. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Information Administration suggest that this bill could reduce the United States’ gross domestic product by as much as 7 percent by 2050, and could reduce the United States’ manufacturing output by almost 10 percent in 2030. A reduction in output means that industry will need fewer workers in order to keep their costs down. A need for fewer workers will result in job losses, and unemployment rates in my State are already too high…”
Click here to continue reading Cochran’s remarks on the Climate Security Act of 2008.
Click here to check out our events section for coverage and more photographs of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the launch of the NOAA Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Photo by Patrick Fink of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Senator Cochran participates in the presentation of the PORTS key to the Port of Gulfport.
Senator Cochran plans to attend and make remarks at the dedication ceremony celebrating the launch of Gulfport Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) today at 1 p.m. The event will be located at the Hancock Plaza in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Information from Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services
NOAA/National Ocean Service:
“NOAA Physical Oceanographic Real-Time Systems (PORTS®) are nearshore ocean observing systems developed by the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, which is a part of NOAA’s National Ocean Service. Tailored to the specific needs of local communities, PORTS® measures, integrates, and disseminates observations of water levels, currents, salinity, wind, and bridge clearance, all of which help mariners successfully guide ships into and out of the nations busiest ports. The information made available by PORTS® results in economic benefits essential for the movement of goods, services, and people throughout the 25,000 miles of waterways, ports, and other navigable waters, as well as over 3,700 marine terminals that consist of the US marine transportation system.”
Senator Cochran plans to speak at the MDOT dedication ceremony honoring Dr. Gilbert R. Mason on Saturday. A portion of U.S. Highway 90 will be dedicated to Dr. Mason, a noted civil rights leader on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Dr. Gilbert Mason was a dedicated physician who worked tirelessly to promote equality and to provide quality healthcare to all Mississippians no matter racial or ethnic background.
Michael Janus, State Representative and South Mississippi Field Rep. for Cochran, will also speak at the ceremony. Janus played a significant role in helping pass legislation to designate the portion of Highway 90 to honor Dr. Mason. Read House Bill 207 below.
Dr. Gilbert R. Mason, Sr.
In the 2008 session of the Mississippi Legislature, House Bill 207 was passed designating a portion of U.S. Highway 90 as “Dr. Gilbert R. Mason Sr. Memorial Highway.”
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. (1) That portion of U.S. Highway 90 in the city of Biloxi beginning at Rodenberg Avenue and extending easterly to Porter Avenue, is designated and shall be known as the “Dr. Gilbert R. Mason, Sr., Memorial Highway.”
(2) The Mississippi Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs along and approaching the segment of highway described in subsection (1) of this section.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
Senator Cochran plans to attend the first annual American Red Cross “Red-A-Cross the Coast” gala Friday. The event will be located at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, MS. All proceeds will benefit the Mississippi Gulf Coast chapter of the American Red Cross.
For more information, click here to visit the event’s Web site.
