Jackson Free Press

Barbour Vetoes ‘Partnership' Bill

GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE FOR HOUSE BILL 1115 -March 27, 2006-

I am returning House Bill 1115: AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 43-13-403, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO DEFINE CERTAIN TERMS IN THE HEALTH CARE TRUST FUND LAW; TO AMEND SECTION …

GOP Has Tough Choices on Voting Rights Act

When the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights act last week, it handed Republicans tough questions with no easy answers over how, and where, to attract voters even GOP …

[Ladd] Life in the Fast Lane

Not to be a drama queen here, but hanging out at the Mississippi Legislature can really shatter one's faith in humanity. After doing years of research on harmful youth policies …

State Jobless Rate Tops 9 Percent

The Mississippi unemployment roles swelled in January to 9.2 percent, a rate higher than the national average of 8.5 percent. In December, the state reported a 7.6 percent rate.

$20 Million Loan Approved for Old Capitol Green

UPDATED

Gov. Haley Barbour approved a $20 million loan for the Old Capitol Green infrastructure improvements Monday, in a move that the development's supporters consider a critical early step.

Medical Examiner Bill Sent To Barbour

The Mississippi Legislature has passed a bill that would require state medical examiners to be certified forensic pathologists. The House of Representatives today approved Senate changes to House Bill 1456, …

Panel Withholding Data, Education Advocates Say

A governor-appointed panel on school district mergers is withholding the data it used to identify 18 Mississippi school districts for potential consolidation, frustrating a group of education advocates.

10 Local Stories This Week

Things seemed to return to normal after Hurricane Isaac and the three-day Labor Day weekend slowed down the capital city last week.

'Tort Reform' Not Working?

There's just no pleasing some people. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's tort-reform lobbying arm, the "Institute for Legal Reform," released a report last Wednesday ranking Mississippi as the 48th worst …

Civil Rights Museum to Break Ground

Former Mississippi Gov. William Winter remembers a time when "civil" and "rights" were two words that weren't used in tandem in many social circles.

McDaniel, Cochran Readying for Round 2 in Epic Primary 'Fight'

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Republicans huddled Thursday over the slow-motion showdown of the Mississippi Senate runoff, with allies of Sen. Thad Cochran aiming to sharpen his message and supporters of …

Tough Questions for Mitch Tyner

The uncut version.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitch Tyner answers tough questions about his Davidian quest for the state's top office, if liberals can love God, and whether or not he's a closet Democrat.

Operation Downgrade

Gov. Haley Barbour's "Mississippi Education Reform Act of 2005," SB 2504, finally passed in the House of Representatives in early March, after living in the shadow of a looming Medicaid …

AG: State Meth Laws Curbing Problem

[verbatim from AG's office]Since Mississippi's Meth Law went into effect just over a year ago, meth lab seizures have gone down 65%, announced Attorney General Jim Hood today. The new …

Senate Committee to Kill Override Attempt

A resolution passed by the House last month in an attempt to override Gov. Haley Barbour's rejection of $56 million in federal stimulus dollars will likely never get out of …

Jackson's Year in Review Timeline

Jan. 2 – State Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, announces his candidacy for mayor of Jackson.

Come All Ye Faithful

In his column last week, The Clarion-Ledger's Sid Salter quoted the fifth chapter of Matthew to justify Gov. Haley Barbour diverting federal money away from low-income Katrina re-housing and into …

House Votes to Expand Unemployment Benefits

More Mississippians could qualify for unemployment insurance under a bill the Mississippi House of Representatives passed Saturday. The Senate adjourned hours before the vote, meaning the Legislature will not bring …

2007 JFP Voter's Guide: Of Primary Importance

Photos by Adam Lynch & Roy Adkins

On Aug. 7, voters will turn out in droves—we hope—to make their voices known in the primary elections.

US Courthouse in Mississippi Named for Former Sen. Cochran

A federal courthouse in Mississippi has been named for Thad Cochran, a longtime Republican U.S. senator who resigned this year.