Jackson Free Press

Mississippi Family Says Reform Bill Should be Retroactive

Mississippi lawmakers are considering a change to a law to reduce long prison sentences given to habitual offenders whose past crimes were either nonviolent or committed many years earlier.

Legislature Votes to Change State Flag

Pictures from the Mississippi State Capitol's Saturday deliberations over the state flag on June 27.

• Share
• Discuss
• June 29, 2020

Rep. Hester Jackson-McCray, D-Horn Lake, now two for two in her legislative battles, says that …

• June 29, 2020

‘Today I Feel Like a Mississippian’: State Flag Consigned to History in Bipartisan Vote

The contentious Mississippi state flag is officially no more today, consigned to history after a legislative supermajority voted Sunday to retire it for good.

Russell C. Davis Planetarium Remodel, 2021 Governor’s Arts Awards and Dumbo's on Duling

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Deputy Director of Cultural Services David Lewis and Russell C. Davis Planetarium manager Mike Williams announced updates on the progress of the planned restoration of …

Mississippi Changing State Flag As Legislature Passes HB 1796 to Replace It

House Bill 1796 has passed both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature and is headed to Gov. Tate Reeves for signature, which he signaled early Saturday will happen.

AP Analysis: Debate Shifts on Rebel-themed Mississippi Flag

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Confederate battle emblem on the Mississippi flag evokes strong emotions, and for decades it has been a volatile issue that many state legislators wanted to …

COVID-19 Cases Average 557 Per Day, Highest So Far

This past week, the average number of daily new cases of COVID-19 rose to 557 in Mississippi.

UPDATED: House, Senate Pass Concurrent Resolution 79: Redesign Flag, Vote By Referendum in November

The Mississippi Legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution No. 79 today, paving the way for a new Mississippi state flag.

Reeves Says He'll Sign a Bill to Change Mississippi's Flag

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi lawmakers could vote soon to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag, a symbol that has come under intensifying criticism in recent weeks …

Hinds Leaders: Mississippi Flag Stands for ‘Hate, Torture, Murder, Rape’

Hinds County leaders issued a passionate plea yesterday, joining the growing call to change the Mississippi flag because of the Confederate emblem in its canton.

Mississippi’s Healthcare System In Imminent Danger, Stressed MSDH Officials Warn

Mississippi’s health-care system is rapidly approaching catastrophe, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs warned Thursday—not in a matter of months, but in a matter of weeks.

University coaches and Christian ministers filled the Mississippi Capitol on Thursday, urging legislators to seize …

• June 26, 2020

Lobbying Grows Against Mississippi's Rebel-Themed Flag

University coaches and Christian ministers filled the Mississippi Capitol on Thursday, urging legislators to seize the moment and remove the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag while Americans are …

BREAKING: Mississippi Adds 1,092 New COVID-19 Cases In Single Day

The day after State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs warned of a looming catastrophe facing Mississippi in the fall, the state’s hospitals reported the highest incidence of confirmed and suspected …

USM Student Organizing COVID-19 Food Relief, MSU Travel Awards and Racial Reconciliation Event

Gulfport, Miss., native James Skinner is identifying food resources and distribution points across the southern half of the state to help get immediate relief to residents in need, as part …

Mississippi Governor Might Not Block Change to Rebel-Themed Flag

Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said Wednesday, for the first time, that he probably would not stand in the way if legislators muster a large enough majority to remove the …

The indictment against 52-year-old Newton Wade Townsend identifies the target of his alleged threats by …

• June 25, 2020

Indictment: Threat to Kill Mississippi's Only Black US Rep.

A federal indictment accuses a Mississippi man of threatening to kill the state's only Black U.S. representative and his staffers.

‘About Healing and Reconciliation’: Legislative Fight For New State Flag Continues

A raft of Democratic legislators joined House Democratic Leader Rep. Robert Johnson III in calling for a new state flag yesterday.