Jackson Free Press

A decade after a majority of Mississippians voted against the Personhood Amendment, abortion rights organizers …

• November 17, 2021

No Life-at-Conception Proposal on '15 Miss. Ballot

Mississippians will not vote on a new ballot initiative that would declare life begins at conception.

Clinic Wins Battle in Abortion War

On Monday, U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III halted a process that likely would result in JWHO's closure and make Mississippi the first state without an abortion clinic.

Abortion Foes Push New Restrictions

With personhood legislation finally out of the spotlight, lawmakers are taking aim at smaller anti-abortion issues, like placing new restrictions on abortion providers.

Judge Rules in Favor of Personhood Amendment

Read the ruling (PDF)

An initiative asking voters to decide if the state Constitution should define when life begins can be placed on the 2011 ballot, Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Malcolm Harrison ruled …

Stinker Quote of the Week

A couple things stink about Ryan's answer about abortion in the vice presidential debate.

Grassroots Mamas: ‘We Did It!'

Just before 10 p.m. last night, Lori Gregory Garrott ran out of her Fondren home, stood on the front lawn and looked around before shouting, "We just won!" She yelled …

JFP's Biggest Stories

Over the years, the Jackson Free Press has dug in deep on a number of big stories and topics that produced major results for the city and state.

Personhood Initiative Heads to Court

The outcome of a lawsuit over a 2011 ballot initiative asking voters to define when life begins will come down to whether the initiative requires modifications to the state Constitution.

Hell Hath No Fury ...

Gov. Phil Bryant's Facebook page has probably never been so popular.

Women Still Under Assault

With Mississippi's only abortion facility facing permanent closure due to a law passed during the 2012 legislative session, other women's reproductive rights may be fairly safe during this year's session.

Sital Sanjanwala

This week, Jackson native Sital Sanjanwala, who now works for Fondren-based political consulting firm Chism Strategies, received Campaign & Elections magazine's Rising Star award for her work to help defeat …

[Spiehler] Where Is the Line?

"What about life-saving abortions?"

Garrad's Political Playlist

Politics is on the minds and tongues of everyone these days. We have elections coming up Nov. 8, when Mississippians will vote on two hot-button topics: personhood and voter ID. …

[Barkley] Women: Time to Rebel

It is time for us to refuse to passively cooperate with government that ignores the realities that punctuate the lives of women in the Deep South.

Democrats, Activists 'Infuriated' as Hood Defends Six-Week Abortion Ban

Abortion-rights activists and some Democratic leaders are unhappy with Mississippi's leading Democratic candidate for governor, state Attorney General Jim Hood, after his office filed a brief in defense of the …

Cristen Hemmins: Education, Equal Pay and Taking On Tollison

Jackson native Cristen Hemmins decided to run for the District 9 Senate seat (which includes Oxford and most of Lafayette County) when her opponent, Gray Tollison, introduced Initiative 42A to …

Fetal Heartbeat Ban 'A Direct Challenge to Roe,' Activists Warn

Abortion-rights activists are warning that Mississippi's fetal-heartbeat bills, and others like them, are part of an effort to instigate a U.S. Supreme Court case that could overturn constitutional protections for …

Sen. McDaniel, Meet the Real ‘Liberal Women’

As I was consumed with Best of Jackson week last week, I kept getting emails and texts about a state legislator proving himself to be among the worst of Mississippi.

Planned Parenthood Braces for Battle

Federal funds cannot pay for abortions, but anti-abortion rights advocates and lawmakers object to funding Planned Parenthood at all with federal and state dollars due to the fact that they …