BONUS: Full interview with Petal Mayor Tony Ducker

Описание: Mayors from across southeast Mississippi’s ten counties share their priorities for the 2026 legislative session, outlining the local needs and challenges they want state lawmakers to address.

In this interview, the mayor of Petal, Tony Ducker, discusses the city’s top concerns heading into the session and the support local leaders are seeking from the Mississippi Legislature.

This story is part of a Roy Howard Community Journalism Center reporting project examining what mayors and county supervisors across southeast Mississippi want from state lawmakers during the 2026 legislative session. The project includes county-by-county reporting and an interactive overview highlighting shared priorities, regional differences and policy challenges facing local governments.

Readers can explore the full project, including the interactive overview and reporting from all 10 counties, at:
https://rhcjcnews.com/6555/news/south...

Editor’s note: This interview has been minimally edited and is presented largely in its original form to uphold the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center’s commitment to transparency. Edits may include removing unrelated portions of the conversation or omitting information the interviewee later requested be excluded due to accuracy concerns or potential public safety implications.

The Roy Howard Community Journalism Center is dedicated to reporting impactful, issue-oriented and people-centered news in southeast Mississippi. Student journalists, supported by professional staff, report news, create content, innovate and combat the spread of misinformation and disinformation.

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