Jackson Free Press

Gov. Bryant has vetoed HB 1584, which proposes giving governing authority to a reservoir board.

Terri Herring has been a lobbyist in Mississippi for 27 years, yet she only registered as such March 13, 2013.

The Committee to Elect Chokwe Lumumba, Jackson mayoral candidate Chokwe Lumumba's political action committee, shared its first campaign finance report with the Jackson Free Press this morning.

The report, which you can see here, was filed almost two full months late. But it is just the fourth report filed by the 14 candidates vying to be Jackson's next mayor. The others were filed by front-runners Jonathan Lee and Regina Quinn, as well as incumbent Harvey Johnson Jr.

Mr. Lumumba's campaign raised $22,141 in 2012, with $18,750 coming from major donors (gifts of over $250) and $3,391 coming from smaller donors. His biggest supporter is Jackson attorney Barry Wayne Howard of Jackson, who gave $10,000 to the PAC on May 14, 2012.

Other donors reaching or topping the $1,000 mark include Moore's Used Auto Sales, LLC on Gallatin Street ($1,000), Jackson attorney Winston J. Thompson ($1,200), Deerfield Pest Control, Inc. on West Mayes Street ($1,000), Jackson attorney Dennis Sweet III ($1,000), and Dr. Vonda Reeves-Darby ($1,000).

The campaign spent $19,026 and reported a total amount of cash-on-hand of $7,491 as of January 1, 2013.

Gov. Phil Bryant's Education Works bill is going to a conference committee after all.

Yesterday, the House delivered a crushing defeat to Gov. Phil Bryant's Education Works agenda, the governor's everything-but-the-kitchen sink education-reform bill that includes charter schools, a third-grade reading improvement program, teacher merit pay and many other provisions.

Today, the House went the other way. Now details of the bill, HB 890, will be negotiated by members of the House and Senate Education Committees as well as yet-to-named legislators.

The House voted 60-58 against the governor's bill, which passed in the Senate, meaning a few Republicans broke ranks and sided with Democrats in opposing the bill. Today's vote appears to be more a rebuke of Bryant's ram-it-down-throat tactic than of any individual education idea.

It was of little consequence since most of the important provisions of Education Works, including the charter-school bill, remain alive in separate pieces of legislation.

Ironically, the vote against Bryant's agenda fell on the same day at the former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is in town pushing education reform at Mississippi College. Bush's nonprofit, the Foundation for Excellence in Education drafted much of the model legislation on which Bryant's education plan was built.

As you can see from this story by R.L. Nave, Hal White is an institution in the Jackson area. He is half the team that created Hal & Mal's three decades ago—the site of so many good times, so many new and old connections, and so much activism for great causes. Jackson would not be Jackson without the efforts of Hal White, and his brother, Malcolm. (This newspaper was even planned sitting at their bar.) And so many are grateful for his wonderful culinary creations, including his popular gumbo. (I, as a vegetarian, just appreciate him allowing me to order my special onion ring po-boys over the years.)

Over the weekend, Hal suffered a brain aneurysm and has endured three surgeries since at St. Dominic's. He is surrounded by loving friends and family, and his larger friend and support base is essentially holding a social media vigil, sending prayers up for his swift recovery.

The Jackson Free Press sends love and prayers to the White family, along with thanks for everything they've done for us and the city over the years. You got this, Hal.

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2013/mar/26/11074/

The progressive group Women For Progress held their bi-annual meeting at the Old Capitol Inn Friday, and the guest list looked like a who's who of women running for municipal office in Jackson. Most notably, mayoral candidate Regina Quinn and city council candidates June Hardwick (Ward 7) and Fran Bridges (Ward 5) were in attendance.

What stole the show, however, were the startling numbers that the group is trying to combat. Among other problems highlighted, women hold just 17 percent of seats in the U.S. Congress, 23 percent of seats in state legislatures in the U.S. are held by females, and just six out of 50 states have female governors.

Add all that up, and the United States ranks 87th in the world when it comes to the number of women serving in its national legislative body.

The answer, according to the group, is to encourage more women to run for office. Thus the title of Friday's meeting: "She Should Run."

To learn more about Women For Progress, check out their web site here.