Jackson Free Press

The Most Intriguing of 2020

Thinking of a recent year as eventful as 2020 would be quite the challenge. Nevertheless, the Jackson Free Press chose a handful of Mississippians who have made headlines this year, …

Mississippi U.S. Reps Keep Seats, Medical Marijuana Passes

Mississippians have voted in favor of legalizing medical marijuana, opting for the less restrictive of two proposals on this year’s ballot.

Incumbents Face Challenges in Mississippi House, Court Races

Three out of four incumbents in Mississippi's U.S. Congressional Districts are facing challenges on Election Day. Two Republicans—Trent Kelly and Michael Guest—and the state federal delegation's sole Democrat, Bennie Thompson.

AP Road Trip: In Mississippi, Black Voters Face Many Hurdles

After years of being shut out of state races, Democrats hope mobilizing Black voters and recruiting Black candidates can eventually give them a path back to relevance in one of …

Mississippi Governor: No Plan for Pardon in Life Sentence for Pot

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday that he's not currently thinking about pardoning a woman who is serving a life sentence after she was caught with marijuana during a traffic …

Analysis: Budget Dispute Goes to 1 Judge in Hinds County

Mississippi Republican legislative leaders helped defeat a 2015 education initiative by arguing that if someone sued the state over school funding, one judge in Hinds County would make budget decisions …

EDITOR'S NOTE: Stop Glamorizing the Cruelty of Racist Ancestors

"The Legislature put up this flag as a stated symbol of white supremacy in 1894 as all those hideous soldier statues were popping up with their sappy remembrances, and it …

EDITOR'S NOTE: Dear Dr. Dobbs, Mississippi Needs Precise COVID-19 Data

It’s often been a slog to get good and relevant information about the spread of the coronavirus that isn’t either confusing or incomplete, or what we get may combine apples …

Governor Reeves Announces Interim Director for Mississippi Development Authority

Today, Governor Tate Reeves announced that John Rounsaville will lead the Mississippi Development Authority as Interim Director to continue growing our state's economy and win business for Mississippi.

Road to a Gentleman’s Surrender: Gov. Tate Reeves Strikes Hard, Then Bows to Legislature

To hear it from (Tate) Reeves, the Legislature fiddled while Mississippi burned, gambling with the lives and livelihoods of its people through unnecessary legalistic dissembling.

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan (center), Gov. Haley Barbour (right) and Mississippi …

• May 1, 2020

OPINION: COVID-19 Recovery Plan Needs Bipartisan Oversight, Lessons from Katrina

Mississippi is at a crossroads on our recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Our Legislature must be involved to ensure more balanced priorities and better financial accountability in the use of …

OPINION: COVID-19 Plan Needs Oversight, Lessons from Katrina

In 2010, Reilly Morse helped bring a $132-million settlement after funds were diverted from low-income housing to a port in Gov. Haley Barbour's Hurricane Katrina recovery plan. That's a lesson for now, he argues.

• Share
• May 1, 2020

Legislature Asserts Control Over CARES Act Funds by Early Return

The Mississippi Legislature will reconvene on Monday, “if not sooner,” Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, told the Jackson Free Press today. The Legislature’s lightning-quick return comes weeks in advance …

President Donald Trump on Thursday tweeted his support for his former national security adviser Michael …

• April 30, 2020

Trump Tweets Raise Speculation About Potential Flynn Pardon

President Donald Trump on Thursday tweeted his support for his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, raising speculation that a pardon may be coming after Flynn's lawyers released internal FBI …

Mississippi Gov. Forms Coronavirus Economic Recovery Group

Mississippi's governor has formed a commission of private-sector business leaders to make recommendations on how the state can economically recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Lenore Loving Prather

Retired Justice Lenore Loving Prather, the first woman to serve as a Mississippi Supreme Court justice, died Saturday at her home in Columbus at the age of 88.

Court Revives Suit Over Mississippi School Funding Disparity

A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit that says Mississippi allows grave disparities in funding between predominantly black and predominantly white schools.