The Extra Mile Podcast
State Senator Jennifer Branning and State Representative Scott Bounds

(Paul) Welcome in to another edition of the Extra Mile podcast presented by the Mississippi Department of Transportation. I'm MDOT, deputy director of Public Affairs, Pal Katool. And as always, I'm joined by my cohost Will Craft. He is the director of public affairs at MDOT. And we're back. If you if you check behind us, if you're watching the show, we are back at the new show, the County Fair, for the second year in a row and for the second year in a row, we also have two guest. We have state representative Scott Bounds joining the show. And then, of course, we've got State Senator Jennifer Branning, some hometown folks with us today. First up on the show is Representative Bounds. He represents Leake and Neshoba counties that's district 44 elected in 2004 and most relevant today he's the president and program director of the Neshoba County Fair Association. Representative Bounds thank you for joining us today. Thank you for making the day happen.

(Representative Bounds) Good to have you all here. Well glad to be here again.

(Will) That's right.

(Representative Bounds) You know at the Neshoba County Fair a little bit low key today, had a busy weekend but we got a busy finish to the rest of the week.

(Will) Well, I love how you say it's low key. And I mean, there are there are, you know, hundreds of people, I would say, you know, spread out behind us back here, at least a hundred, doing all the different things. We got kids running around playing games. If you hear some of that traffic on our mikes, that's what's going on around here. But like you said, it is so big. Weekend had a big one.

(Representative Bounds) Yeah. We had had a very good weekend. Had rain on Saturday. And but that didn't seem to dampen the spirit of the opening weekend and fair. I say two things about fire people all the time. Number one, I always expect the unexpected down here. And the number two, it is what it is. If it rains, it rained. If it's dust, then it’s dusty. If it’s hot, it’s hot.

(Will) That’s right.

(Representative Bounds) We'll have a good time. We got horse racing going on. Big crowd at the horse races this afternoon. Second day. The horse race is going on right now. But yeah, we had we had a good weekend. had a good weekend. We are looking to finish strong. We're very pleased with our attendance numbers.

(Will) Well, then you just talked about the we can kick us on into the week. What's so today is kind of low key right now, like you said, but there's things going on.

(Representative Bounds) Yeah. There’re things going on like horse racing. And then of course, we have the Miss Neshoba County Fair Pageant too.

(Paul) Nice.

(Representative Bounds) And my wife actually is that pageant director.

(Will) Oh, wow.

(Representative Bounds) And she's been doing this about, been doing that about five years. And she enjoys doing that. And that's a big thing here.

(Will) Absolutely.

(Representative Bounds) You know, for somebody least like Miss Neshoba County Fair and all the community of Vans to go around and represent the fair and different things, things like that, of course, tomorrow, tomorrow morning, we'll start our political speeches on Tuesday morning. In an election year like this year, we have our local candidates that will be speaking, these candidates that are running for circuit clerk and things like that. OK, but then we move into the statewide and district races on Wednesday and Thursday. And of course, the one the race that everybody is really paying a lot of attention to right now is between the lieutenant governor, Delbert Hosemann, and State Senator Chris McDaniel. They both speak on Wednesday morning. So we're anticipating big crowds for that. And of course, then the governor will speak on Thursday. Gubernatorial candidates will speak on Thursday as well. Philip Gunn will deliver his last address as the House speaker from the pavilion on Thursday also. So two big days coming up, really Wednesday and Thursday. Then we'll close out on Friday with the championship horse races and our nightly entertainment on Friday night. So we're rocking along. We always say if we can make it through the weekend, we got it by the tail in the downhill drive.

(Will) Any of those nighttime entertainments that you're looking forward to.

(Representative Bounds) You know, I'm probably looking more forward to, let me just give you a quick rundown. Who we got tomorrow night? We have Jackson Bain, who is really up and comer right now, Jamison Rogers on Wednesday night, Niko Moon on Thursday night and Russell Dixon on Friday night. I'm probably looking forward to Jamison Rogers. He's a Batesville boy. He's from Batesville. I understand he played baseball at Northwest and went Southern. And he is really he's really hot right now of course, being an artist and up and coming. So looking for a real good show out of him. We feel like we'll have a very good turnout for him on Wednesday night and hoping to, you know, hear again that the weather holds, at least the rain. You know, we can always put up with the dust better than we can rain. But here it is what it is. I'm going to do it.

(Paul) It sounds good. Sounds good to us. We love some good music, at MDOT public affairs, no doubt. So you mentioned it. Big political year, lots of speeches. You're going to be speaking yourself, correct?

(Representative Bounds) I am.

(Paul) What you kind of got, if you maybe give us a little preview, you have to say everything you're going to you're going to be given out. But any kind of preview for us.

(Representative Bounds) Well, you know, I know that everybody that's going I speak on Thursday morning at 8:40, I think, I'm the sacrificial lamb. I told them I'd go first you know. Well, I told my committee I'd go first. And but, you know, I'm I know that everybody's going to be here Tuesday is going to be statewide. And on Thursday, they're going to talk about accomplishments that they've had in the last four years. You know, they're going to talk about this previous session that just completed, 2023 session. I'm going to focus more my 20 years or what I've done locally here, what I’ve been able to accomplish locally. I'm very blessed that the people have granted me the opportunity to serve five terms and the Mississippi legislature and, but I want them to know that you know what I'm doing. I don't want them to forget the successes that we've had in 20 years so I'm going to focus more on what we've been able to accomplish locally in my speech on Thursday. I've got some ideas in my head. It's just when I sit down last week, one afternoon at my desk and you know, I was going to start just putting some things down and I just, I thought back to the 20 years that the things that we have been able to accomplish and especially under, under the leadership of Speaker gone and in the last 12 years but, but just things that I've been very blessed to be a part of here locally here in Philadelphia and Neshoba County portion of Lee County that I represent. And so I'm will focus on that. That's what my talk is going to be about because I know everybody else is going to talk about everything else. So, you know, I want my people, I want my constituents to know that, that I still want to work for them. I still have guys, I still have as much passion today for that job as I did the first day I walk in the chamber and I want to continue to work and I'm going to ask, I'm going to ask the people of House District 44 to send me back again.

(Will) If it's if the passion is in any way indicative, you know, a passion you have here for Neshoba and the fair and the county and all the people around here is in any way indicative of your legislative service. I think that it resonates very well.

(Representative Bounds) Well, I appreciate the fair is a labor of love more than anything this is a non-paid position and I will tell you that it's a very time consuming position. It's a very time-consuming position. There's a lot of work that goes into putting the fair together, and we don't want a pat on the back. We don't want an atta boy. We're just going to continue to work hard and put it on. I didn't think we were going to have a fair this year if you'd asked me mid June, with the amount of rain that we've had down here.

(Will) It has been a lot of rain.

(Representative Bounds) And you know, but now we have a we have a great grounds team, a great staff that stepped up and got the grounds back into shape. We got in a six. If I can go here just a minute. We got in a six day period down here between June the 14th and June the 20th, just under 18 inches of rain here on the ground.

(Will) Wow.

(Representative Bounds) We had two events where cabins flooded on the northwest side of the I mean, the southwest side of the racetrack over there. My cabin being one had flooded on Thursday morning, June the 15th. I came out on Saturday June the 17th and muddied it out and it flooded again on June the 18th.

(Will) Oh, my gosh.

(Representative Bounds) Eight inch rain, six inch rains both times in a short period. But anyway, we're past all of that and we're past all of that. Somebody stopped me this morning and said y’all holding up good today. And I said, yeah, but we paid for it in June just now getting delivered.

(Will) That's exactly right.

(Paul) There you go. There you go.

(Representative Bounds) Just now getting delivery. But right now, I love the fair and what I'm able to do in my public service right now, too. I just I'm very blessed and very fortunate that the people allowed me to do that.

(Paul) That's awesome. All right, so we want to kind of look back at the 2023 legislative session. I know there was a lot of accomplishments kind of any that stick out in your mind. And then if you all kind of want to look ahead to next session. I know we've got a little bit of time, but I'm sure it's on your mind. What, what what's on your mind with all of that?

(Representative Bounds) Well, I will tell you what we did for MDOT back in the 2023 session, we gave you all the funding that we gave you all but gave you the flexibility to choose projects across the state that have been on the drawing board for a long time. I know there are some high-capacity projects or some projects that needed to be done for safety reasons, things like that. But given you all given the executive privilege and the ability to be able to choose those projects and spend that money to the best way that they can instead of us pork barreling projects or picking projects that can wait. OK, now I say all that to say Brad White and his team, the executive team, you guys excuse me, y'all need the flexibility, be able to do that. And giving you the flexibility in that appropriation I think was a big thing. Talking about things going into the future. Obviously, you know, things that are really I think that are important to me. I'm a Republican so I think that taxpayers need more money back in their pockets. So I'm for the income tax elimination. It's proven in states that have done that that their growth is unprecedented. And even when we phased out the 3% bracket, I think in 2016 when we started that phase out, that's when we began to have unprecedented growth. And we're still experiencing it right now. Whether you attribute the extra tax dollars to goods, cost of goods and services being higher or what if you look at the volume of things that are being done, it works. If people are putting more money into their pocket, they're going to spend that money.

(Will) And that collections even right now, right?

(Representative Bounds) Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we ended fiscal year ‘23 on June 30th some $700 million off of our revenue-

(Will) That’s crazy.

(Representative Bounds) -and every month I think we had maybe May was maybe May didn’t make the revenue estimate but beyond that, 11 months of the year was over and above our revenue estimate.

(Paul) Wow.

(Representative Bounds) And even though we had conservative estimates we still had money we still had money in the Treasury to pay the bills and to do the state's business. But we're not going to spend more than we ever take in. And so we've been blessed, I want us to continue to work with MDOT, I want us to. One thing that's really important to me is broadband. Me being chairman of the House Public Utilities Committee, we're fixing have some a lot of money come down to some of the federal dollars. And Sally Dougherty and her team at the main office are diligently working to compile applications and develop the process for that. It's time with this pot of money for us to move broadband out to the unserved and underserved areas of the state. So I will continue to work on that. Also, I'm looking forward and hope I have the opportunity to go back and I'm looking forward to it. Like I said earlier, what I do in my public service area, I still have as much passion for it today as I did the day I walk on that train.

(Paul) That's awesome.

(Will) Absolutely. Believe it. Taking things a little more fun and less important, maybe, if you will. Summer fun and summer travel is kind of a big piece for us that we talk about getting out on the Mississippi highways, checking out the state. What about back in the district or back at home? Kind of. You got some fun stuff going on, I'm sure, other than, you know, what you're getting wrapped up with right now.

(Representative Bounds) Well, I don't know if you guys familiar with it or knows about it, but probably one of the, well the biggest thing we've got going on in Philadelphia right now is obviously the Marty Stuart Congress of Country Music.

(Will) Oh yes.

(Paul) Love it.

(Representative Bounds) And the legislature has solidly worked that project and has appropriated money where we have renovated a downtown old downtown theater. It's a very quaint setting, about 500 seats, but it's got state of the art sound in it and through Marty’s connection to Nashville and Marty being a Philadelphia boy, through his connection to Nashville, they are putting together he and the Congress team putting together an outstanding lineup of people for fundraiser for the Congress.

(Will) Okay.

(Representative Bounds) So three phase project we've got the theater done which will be a community asset, but we want to do we want to do the education component of it and then we want to see the, the museum done. Marty has the most extensive collection of country music memorabilia in the world.

(Will) I believe it.

(Representative Bounds) And it's housed here in Philadelphia in a warehouse right now. But we want to get it out there. We want people to see it. And we know that when we're able to be on land, it's like the field of dreams. People will come.

(Will) Oh, yeah.

(Representative Bounds) People will come. And so we're working real hard on that. The state has been through in the last ten years. The state's been very good to us to allow us to, you know, get a little money here, a little money there to get the project started. And then once we are able to get that thing to fruition, I think we're going to see I think people are going to be real pleased with the finished product.

(Paul) Good stuff. So just a couple more things real quick. We'll make them fun. So when you're getting outside the district, Mississippi, during summer travel, where do you like to go?

(Will) Where's the hot spot? And if it's too good, you don’t have to give it away.

(Paul) Sure, sure.

(Representative Bounds) I mean, you know, I mean, you know, we always everybody goes to Orange Beach. I mean, I like the beach. I'm not a mountain guy.

(Paul) OK, ok.

(Representative Bounds) I'm not a mountain guy and I'm not a, I'm a beach guy, you know, and weekends in summer, we spend a lot of time on the Tom BB River over in Alabama and I don't get to I don't get to the beaches as much as I would like to. I mean, once the summer gets here, so constant consumed with the fair out here and everything, but I'm just I'm not a mountain guy. So a beach anywhere where there's a beach.

(Will) Any saying.

(Representative Bounds) You know.

(Will) Yeah, I can understand. Absolutely.

(Paul) Shout out to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

(Representative Bounds) That's right. There we go. Life is a beach.

(Paul) It is.

(Will) Absolutely. Yes. And look, maybe the toughest question for you. Be kind of the last one to wrap things up here. We normally talk about food and we still love food. Don't nobody has any concerns. We have not diminished our love of eating around here. But could you pick maybe a favorite concert that you have been here at the fair? You know, I have for many years. It's been if you had to pick one, you don't have to pick one.

(Representative Bounds) Yeah. OK, so I've been on the board 28 years and it's consider so yeah, lots of concerts, at least four or five a year for 28 years. So I'm well over a hundred concerts now. I've seen and have seen a lot of guys that we thought would be superstars. It didn't pan out and nothing we've seen guys and we didn't think we'd pan out means nothing that a superstar.

(Will) Now that would probably be a cool list.

(Representative Bounds) Yeah, yeah it would. I could, I could really start there but I will tell you probably the one and I'm an old rock and roll guy, OK?

(Will) OK.

(Representative Bounds) I'm an old rock and roll guy in 2000 we had 38 Special here. Oh wow. OK, we had 38 Special here and we contract for like an hour and 20-minute show, something like that. Van Zandt boys, they played almost 2 hours and didn't want to quit when they had to quit and it rained at night, but everybody just got into it. They played all of their hits just and you're going, ooh, 38 Special. I can't believe you like 38 Special. It was, it was the ball.

(Will) I bet.

(Representative Bounds) It was the ball.

(Will) I mean, that's an experience that you'll never forget.

(Representative Bounds) Oh. Oh, yeah. But I've seen good ones. We've been very fortunate. Just quick stories. You know, we, we, we usually start trying to look at entertainment in September or October for the next fair here. OK, and we'll book somebody that will get them at a reasonable price and say we're taking a chance on them. And by the time the fair gets here, they've grown up and just out of sight. And that happens a lot. It happens a lot.

(Will) I believe it.

(Representative Bounds) And we I can the Luke Bryan’s and Jason Aldean’s and J Cowan’s those people that we got on the way up, you know, that have been here to the Neshoba County Fair. It's just really been for 28 years. It's been interesting to be a part of.

(Will) I'm sure it was is just as memorable for them as it probably is for us.

(Representative Bounds) Yeah you know they always get off the bus, they pull in down there and they get off the bus and they say, I've never seen anything like this in my life.

(Will) I always see a post about the chair race.

(Representative Bounds) Yeah, yeah.

(Will) Folks racing out there to get seats. Always see one of those. I love it. They love it though.

(Representative Bounds) Yeah, they do. And let me say, that's not a sanctioned fair event. So.

(Will) Fair enough.

(Paul) Fair enough.

(Will) Full disclosure, right here.

(Representative Bounds) Not a sanctioned fair event.

(Paul) Well, this is awesome. We, everyone certainly appreciate your hard work on the Neshoba County Fair. Representative Bounds, thank you so much for joining us and stopping by making this happen.

(Representative Bounds) Hey, man Paul, thank you. Will, thank you. Let's do it again next year.

(Will) That’s right.

(Paul) We'll put it on the calendar. Thank you, sir.

(Representative Bounds) Yes, sir. Thank y’all.

(Will) Appreciate you, man.

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(Paul) All right welcome back to the show. We just heard from State Representative Scott Bounds, and the second part of the show is up next. We, of course, have State Senator Jennifer Branning, a repeat guest on the show – repeat, repeat, repeat guest. She assumed office in 2016, represents District 18, which is Leake, Winston and, of course, Neshoba counties, and uh, she is the chair of the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee - very relevant to MDOT. Thank you for joining us again. Last time I think we, uh, I was hit by, uh, almost hit by a frisbee when you, when we interviewed you. I don’t know if you remember that.

(Senator Branning) Yeah. That was it.

(Paul) Drew’s going to edit that into the show this time, of course.

(Senator Branning) Good. It would not be the Fair if there weren't things flying around.

(Will) This is true.

(Paul) Love it. Love it. Well, anyway, thank you so much for stopping by. I know it's a busy time. Thanks for joining us.

(Senator Branning) Thank you for the invitation. I've been looking forward to it.

(Will) And we are, uh, we're just as busy as I think I mentioned, uh, on our last little segment there, just as busy this time around. You got kids running around everywhere out here.

(Senator Branning) Oh, yeah. It's been a big weekend for sure. I was here with my family and, uh, my new great niece, who is just about four months old.

(Will) Congrats.

(Senator Branning) It was her first fair.

(Paul) Nice.

(Senator Branning) And so we were able to spend a lot of time. Her name is Everly, and so she's a fair baby. So we’ve had a lot of fun with her.

(Will) Ah, yeah! Everly the fair baby. Everly, congrats. You're going to go down in podcast history. We’ll remember you forever.

(Paul) Shout out to Everly.

(Senator Branning) That's right.

(Will) Well, that's all right. Yeah, I just got to say. So, your folks, all family all here still today, even though - hanging out?

(Senator Branning) We had a group that left this morning going back to the Arkansas area, but we still have a good group there at cabin 106, and on my way in, I just waved. I said, “Guys, I'll be back later to see you and visit with you. I have something I have to do.” So, they're waiting on me to come back. Everly is waiting on Aunt Jen to come hold her, so.

(Will) We will do our best not to hold you too long. What's, uh, so just like you just mentioned, this weekend, already started. What you got coming up the rest of this week that you're looking forward to?

(Senator Branning) Well, obviously, the political speaking will be Wednesday and Thursday. Looking forward to that. Great lineup on both days. So, I will be here, uh, from the beginning to the end, both on Wednesday and Thursday. Looking forward to it.

(Will) Jam packed days for sure.

(Senator Branning) Yes.

(Will) What about any of the, uh, the entertainment? You got a show that you're looking forward to?

(Senator Branning) Well, you know, we have some great, a great lineup this year, and I hear that they're all just going to be fantastic, but I'll be honest with you. Probably my favorite, by way of entertainment, is always the pageant.

(Will) Ok.

(Senator Branning) I love, you know, just watching the pageant, and I think the reason that I gravitate, uh, toward that is I was in the pageant –

(Will) That’s right.

(Senator Branning) – a few years ago. We won't talk about how many. Uh, made the top ten. I, I did not win, but it was such a great experience for young ladies. It was such a confidence builder, and I learned so much through that program. And, actually, Representative Bound’s wife, Jennifer Bounds, does a great job directing that program. So, we'll see a lot of lovely ladies there, uh, tonight. So, I'm looking forward to being able to catch a little bit of that.

(Will) The, uh, the Bounds family are glutton for punishment when it comes to work in the heat times.

(Senator Branning) Yes.

(Will) They, they're doing a little bit of everything around here.

(Senator Branning) They're very, very active in the community. We're blessed to have them.

(Paul) Putting in that work. So, listen, it didn't seem, it seems kind of like yesterday, but the 2023 session wrapped up. Know y’all put in a ton of work.

(Senator Branning) We did.

(Paul) Can you highlight some of the stuff for us? Maybe some MDOT stuff? I know you did a lot for us, but also some other, other accomplishments.

(Senator Branning) Sure. You know, this past legislative session, we put an unprecedented, unprecedented amount of money, uh, state dollars into the MDOT budget for capacity projects. We were just thrilled that we were able to do that. You know, my colleagues - I worked very hard to convince them that we needed to do it and do it in a certain way. We worked with Director White. He was just fabulous at coming over and explaining to us what, not only what the needs are, but how we need to get from A to B. What is the, I guess, the most fiscally responsible way that, that we do that. And we did that through, through way of the Three-Year Plan, making sure that when we were putting the funding forward, it went toward the plan. And I don't know that I've ever seen the legislature work so well with MDOT in pushing our state forward, as far as all the infrastructure needs that we have. And so, I'm just thrilled at the additional state dollars that we're able to plug in and what we're seeing the results of that.

And I realize it will be a little while before we see some of the capacity work go forward, but I just, I know just in Neshoba County, we have the four lane of Highway 19 that had already started - you know, phase one. We were able to bring home the money for phase two. And so that project will just, will keep on going. And we are so excited. We're one of the few areas in this part of the state without four lane access. So that is huge for many reasons. So, I think we had a great session.

(Paul) That's awesome. And we're really going to be seeing orange cones all around the state, right?

(Senator Branning) Yes.

(Paul) We kind of touched all the areas.

(Senator Branning) Absolutely, and we're already seeing that on some of the repaving projects locally. I know that we, we, Highway 21 was, was done a couple of years ago. That leads you right here to the Neshoba County Fairgrounds. But then there's a couple of projects going forward in the district in the upcoming months. Highway 16 is one. Highway 15. So, not only in my area, but all over the state. And that's from, as you know, the lottery proceeds that's put forward to help us with the, the re-pavement. So, I, we're, listen. The future of transportation in Mississippi is bright, and I just appreciate the leadership of MDOT helping us, uh, go down that road, no pun intended.

(Will) Back from, uh, the live honking that you guys all got to hear. That was the ice truck coming around. We thought we'd give it a break and come back in so we can get some clear sound going. But Senator, uh, thank you so much for that answer, talking about this past year's legislation. What about a sneak peek, a teaser for next year? Anything on the agenda already? You know, it's a little ahead, but…

(Senator Branning) Well, I'm looking at ways, and I believe that I had stated this last year. I've been looking at ways for a good while now to find an additional revenue stream for continued capacity projects and/or maintenance and just road needs in general. I mean, we, we've had a good couple of years of surplus, but, but I realize that might not always be the case. So I'm looking for long-term solutions for our infrastructure, for not only capacity, but continue to maintain what we have. So, I know that's a lot, but it requires a lot of research and talk and meeting with my colleagues and different things. So, yes, that is an ongoing, uh, project that I'm looking at.

(Paul) Alright. So, we've been on the road this summer talking summer travel. So, tell it, tell us why people would want to go to your district and come and check it out. What kind of summer fun is happening in your in your area?

(Senator Branning) Oh, we have a lot of things going on. Obviously, the Neshoba County Fair, where you can look around and see how many people visit us on an annual basis. It's just unbelievable the numbers, and I assume that you probably went into that with Representative Bounds, but it’s, it's mind-blowing the number of people that come here over time. But then we have Geyser Falls that, that's part of, uh, the Pearl River Resort, which is a water park. A lot of people come over from the Jackson area and all over to bring their kids over to the water park.

We have the Dancing Rabbit Golf Club, which is just world class, and I know that my boys try to spend time there as often as they can. They love to play golf. And it's just a beautiful place, a beautiful course. And then we have the Marty Stuart Museum that’s in the works, but the first phase of that is the Ellis Theater. OK? And we're beginning to have live performances there. And it is just state of the art. People are traveling from all over to see that.

And of course, shopping in restaurants. The, um, historic Williams Brothers Store. You can go in and have fresh bacon sliced off and buy hoop cheese and also buy shoes and shirts and groceries and all kind of things. And it’s, so, if you've never been there, Paul, you need to make sure that while you're in Neshoba County, go there and see it.

(Will) I think we specifically talked about going to get some hoop cheese.

(Senator Branning) You need to do that.

(Paul) Definitely.

(Will) I like cheese.

(Senator Branning) Yes.

(Paul) Come to Neshoba County. A lot’s going on.

(Senator Branning) A lot going on here.

(Will) And Representative Bounds mentioned the, uh, the Marty Stuart, uh, Museum, as well. I know that you guys are super looking forward to that. That is going to be a great project. Geyser Falls though. I did kind of forget about Geyser Falls.

(Paul) Yeah, me too!

(Senator Branning) Yes.

(Will) That place is a lot of fun.

(Senator Branning) It is, is tremendous.

(Will) I, um, I'm sure it's still going wide open. Oh, yeah. That was a lot of fun when I was younger. I have not been in a while though. So it’s still –

(Senator Branning) It’s time. It's time. We can hook you up with some tickets.

(Will) Let's go.

(Paul) We know it’s not hot outside. So…

(Will) Right?

(Paul) Right, right.

(Will) Continuing kind of on that summer travel beat. So, Senator, anytime, uh, you kind of get outside the district, do you have a favorite spot you guys like to go to? It can be in Mississippi, could be outside of Mississippi. You have a kind of, a getaway?

(Senator Branning) Well, we travel as often as my schedule will allow us to, but this, this year, when we got out of session, we took a trip that was sort of a once in a lifetime trip for two or three different reasons. Number one, we had a child that graduated from high school –

(Will) Ok. Congrats.

(Senator Branning) and we had a child that graduated from college –

(Will) Double congrats.

(Senator Branning) And tomorrow my husband and I celebrate 25 years of marriage.

(Will) Alright!

(Senator Branning) And so, we took an Alaskan cruise in May. And I'm telling you, we absolutely had the best time ever. It was just wonderful. It was freezing cold when we got there because it was, yeah, but I'm telling you, it was just, uh, it, words don't describe it. It was wonderful. I had a great time with my family. But, you know, on a normal year - I'll call it a normal year - look, we like to travel to the Mississippi coast. We, our state has so many wonderful things to offer. Uh, from the north to the south, and so, we try our best anytime we can to make sure that when we are spending time outside of the district with family, we do it within the state as often as possible. And we like seafood.

(Will) That's right.

(Senator Branning) Mary Mahoney's in Biloxi is just, uh, one, one of my go-to’s.

(Will) Hard to beat.

(Senator Branning) Yeah.

(Paul) It is really good.

(Will) I've been there many times. Yeah, it's hard to beat.

(Paul) No doubt. So, we got, yeah, great, great food, good music, everything. Everything's going on. Will, do you want to close us out with that, that music element?

(Will) I will be glad to. So, this one might be a little tough. We got a great answer from Representative Bounds, uh, but do you have a favorite concert maybe that you’ve ever been to here at the fair?

(Senator Branning) You know, when I was a little girl, my mom used to bring me down to the pavilion, which is, which is over to my left as we're doing the interview, and I don't know what night it was of the fair that particular year, but there was a band playing by the name of Class Reunion.

(Will) Ok.

(Senator Branning) And I just love the sound of that band. Of course, I like music. My family, my husband, my children, they're all musicians. And so, I pay attention to that, but Class Reunion was playing. Well, the bass player in Class Reunion is now an attorney friend of mine by the name of Mark Speed for Meridian, and the bass that he used to play and travel with - and by the way, I believe the band still, they still play together some. They've been together a long time. They do. They, they're just great. But we were able to purchase that bass and some other music equipment from Mark as he he was trying to downscale his studio. And so, now my children have the bass, and that's what they use to play –

(Will) Oh, that’s cool.

(Senator Branning) – in their studio at home as they're learning, so I think probably, um, the most meaningful answer –

(Will) Yeah!

(Senator Branning) – that I can give you is the Class Reunion band from several years ago.

(Will) You have live, live equipment from that, you know.

(Senator Branning) We do.

(Will) That’s great.

(Senator Branning) We do indeed.

(Will) That’s cool.

(Senator Branning) A lot of memories here. Yeah.

(Paul) That is cool. Class Reunion and 38 Special, gotta, gotta check both of those bands out for real.

(Will) We're going to have to start asking like a, maybe what's your best piece of memorabilia that you have from something? Because that's going to be hard to top. I feel like an actual gig used. She got it live from, you know, the stage-used equipment. That's pretty neat.

(Senator Branning) That's right, and about 20 years after the fact, too. Yeah.

(Will) It's impressive.

(Paul) Love it. That's a, that's a great story right there, for sure. Senator Branning, thank you so much for joining us, making time for us again. We want to thank you for everything you do for the state, everything you do for transportation.

(Senator Branning) Thank you for having me. I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

(Paul) Awesome. Awesome. So, we'll go ahead and wrap things there. Thank you to our listeners, our viewers, for tuning into the Extra Mile podcast. You can watch and listen to episodes by visiting GoMDOT.com/TheExtraMile. Be sure to follow us on social media. @MississippiDOT is the handle there. Thank you to Drew Hall, our editor, our producer for, uh, making the trek and making everything go behind the scenes. And remember to drive smart out there on Mississippi highways.