Story
Personhood
Clinic Remains Open
State attorneys for the abortion-clinic law say the governor and lieutenant governor's statements about its intent shouldn't matter because they did not author the controversial bill. The judge may not …
Story
Mayor's State of the City: 'Stay on Track'
Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. focused today on his handling of the city's budget in addition to other signs of progress.
Story
Politics
Johnson: 'Jackson is Good'
Mayor Harvey Johnson gave his State of the City Address today. The message: "Jackson is good."
Story
Politics
Target: Paraphernalia
The City Council will soon vote on an ordinance to impose state paraphernalia penalties on store owners who sell glass pipes.
Story
Jacksonian
Jalen Gilbert
This April, a self-assured Jalen Gilbert left New York City as one of 10 finalists at the 29th annual English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition out of 60 competitors from across …
Story
Editor's Note
Signs of Creative Life
Recently, Todd and I happened to be driving throughout downtown Jackson on a Saturday afternoon. Suddenly, we drove by one of the new art boxes.
Story
Events
Choctaw Pageantry and Culture
The 63rd Mississippi Choctaw Fair, held this year from July 11-14 in Choctaw, mixes music, sport and more.
Photo
Story
Business
New Program a 'Passport' to Jackson
Jacksonians and visitors have a new way to purchase tickets to attractions around town. The Attractions Passport Program will allow anyone to purchase tickets on-line using a PayPal account to …
Story
State Sued for JPS' Special Ed Programs
Even though the Mississippi Department of Education threatened to yank Jackson Public Schools' accreditation in a public lambasting over the district's ongoing problems in serving special-education students, MDE is now …
Story
Business
Biz Roundup: July 10, 2012
Jackson fliers will be able to travel non-stop to Chicago on United Airlines come November.
Story
City & County
JPD Releases Results of 'Operation Firecracker' (PDF)
The Jackson Police Department arrested 234 during its "Operation Firecracker" special operation last week, including 25 for prostitution.
Story
State Sued for Not Helping Jackson Special-Ed Kids
The Mississippi Department of Education is facing a class-action suit on behalf of Jackson children with disabilities.
Story
Health Care
DOH Reports 2 West Nile Cases
The state Department of Health reported the first two cases of West Nile virus in Mississippi in 2012 last week.
Entry
Rick Perry Set to Refuse 'Obamacare' in Texas
By Todd StaufferIn a move that I wouldn't be surprised to see repeated in the near future in the Magnolia State, Governor Rick Perry of Texas declared today that he [won't be implementing Obamacare][1] in Texas. Specifically, he says the state will not increase its Medicaid roles to cover additional working poor with the program, and the state will not set up the state exchange that's required in the law.
Perry's office sent a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Monday morning asserting his opposition, both to accepting more than a hundred million federal dollars over the next several years to put more poor Texas adults onto Medicaid, and to creating an Orbitz-style online insurance marketplace for consumers.marketplace for consumers.
The story notes that the insurance exchange isn't optional, and that the Federal government will set up a "one size fits all" exchange for the state.
“If anyone was in doubt, we in Texas have no intention to implement so-called state exchanges or to expand Medicaid under Obamacare," Perry said in a statement. "I will not be party to socializing healthcare and bankrupting my state in direct contradiction to our Constitution and our founding principles of limited government."
Texas, according to the story, has the country's highest percentage of uninsured residents.
But Dan Stultz, president and CEO of the Texas Hospital Association, said without the expansion, "many will remain uninsured, seeking care in emergency rooms, shifting costs to the privately insured, and increasing uncompensated care to health care providers."
And for folks who think the current ACA is a "socialist" expansion, does anyone find it curious that conservative leaders would leave their state exchanges to the Federal government to set up? It seems you would want a hand in there, making sure free market principles reign and such.
Although I guess stamping your feet and say "No! No! No!" feels like better politics to Governor Perry.
[1]: http://www.texastribune.org/texas-health-resources/medicaid/perry-tx-wont-implement-key-elements-health-reform/marketplace for consumers.
Story
Politics
Voter Fraud Problem?
Backers of voter identification in Mississippi and other states say the laws will eliminate voter fraud--but it may be a solution looking for a problem.
Story
Person of the Day
David Coates
Most who knew David Coates knew him as a offensive-minded football coach, loving father, dedicated athletic director and a man who never enjoyed the spotlight.
Story
Events
Community Events and Public Meetings
The Eighth Annual JFP Chick Ball is July 28, 6 p.m., at Hal & Mal's.
Story
Business
Our Itty-Bitty 'Green' Car
Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and former President Bill Clinton helped roll out an energy-efficient vehicle in Horn Lake on July 6.
Story
City & County
10 Local Stories of the Week
The first week of July was a busy news week in the Jackson area. Here's the recap and a whole bunch of PDFs to read.
