All results / Stories / Ashton Pittman
City & County
What Mississippi Voters Want
We asked Mississippi voters which issues they want candidates to talk about. From potholes, to poverty, to higher teacher pay and help with college, here’s what they told us.
Education
Hood Claims Reeves Cut Public Ed Money to Give Favors to Campaign Donors
"It's time to get the money changers out of the temple," Democratic nominee for governor Jim Hood said on Wednesday, standing inside the Italian-white marble walls of the Mississippi Capitol …
Crime
Will a Court Force Mississippi to Change on Mental Health?
In a 2017 report, ProPublica identified more than 100 cases in which Mississippians with mental illnesses were spending long periods in jail waiting for a bed or evaluation from the …
City & County
LGBT Equality Report: Jackson and Hattiesburg Lead Mississippi
Jackson and Hattiesburg lead among Mississippi's nine largest cities in LGBT equality, the Human Rights Campaign says in a new report.
Personhood
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 …
National
Louisiana 'Heartbeat Bill' Relies on Mississippi Taxpayers' Legal Defense
The Louisiana Senate passed a six-week abortion ban modeled after the one Mississippi passed in March, but with one caveat: If the Louisiana one becomes law, it will not go …
Politics
Delbert Hosemann Running for Lt. Gov: 'I'm Here to Apply for the Job'
Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann is running for lieutenant governor, he announced Wednesday morning.
Politics
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves' 2003 Victory over Gary Anderson 'All About Race,' Critics Say
In his successful 2003 bid for state treasurer, critics accused current-Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves of running ads designed to remind voters that his Democratic opponent, Gary Anderson was black. …
Politics
Black Woman Accuses Dem Leader of Ignoring Her Governor Run
Velesha P. Williams, an African American woman from Jackson who is running for the Democratic nomination for governor of Mississippi, says party Chairman Bobby Moak will not "respect or acknowledge" …
Health Care
In Neshoba, Lieutenant Gov Candidates Duel, Detail (Some) Issue Stances
In Mississippi, lieutenant governors are powerful, with executive and legislative roles. They serve as the president of the Senate, which gives them significant leverage in choosing the committee chairs who …
Politics
Men and Corporate Donors Dominate in GOP Runoff for Governor
More than $3 million has flowed to the two candidates in Mississippi's Republican primary runoff since July 27—and the bulk of that money came from political action committees, corporations and …
Health Care
Republican Candidates 'Looking at' Medicaid Expansion, Other States
At least two Republican candidates for statewide office in Mississippi are voicing support for Medicaid expansion—a policy state GOP leadership has long resisted.
Civil Rights
The Street That Jim Crow Paved
Mobile Street in Hattiesburg served as one of Mississippi's most important hubs of black entrepreneurship, professional life, commerce and, later, a crucible of civil-rights activism that would have ramifications across …
Personhood
Legislative Update: Fetal Heartbeats, Teacher Pay, Tort Reform
Daniella Dismuke-Roja is an activist who is challenging laws that she believes threaten the rights of Mississippians. On March 14, she traveled to Jackson and joined a group of Democratic …
Politics
Legislative Update: Tort Reform, Heartbeat Bills, Teacher Pay Moves Forward
On Feb. 13, the House and Senate passed "fetal heartbeat" bills, which ban abortions after a heartbeat is detected. Doctors can detect heartbeats as early as six weeks, making it …
City & County
JPS Unveils 'Transformational' Plan for Public Schools
Jackson Public Schools now has a plan to "transform" education in Mississippi's capital city. City leaders say it will help ensure that all children in the district get a high-quality …
Civil Rights
Voting Rights Act Denied Mississippi Its 'Sovereignty,' AG Candidate Says
At a Tupelo campaign stop on Monday, Mississippi State Rep. Mark Baker, a Republican candidate for attorney general, said the 1965 Voting Rights Act violated Mississippi's "sovereignty."
Personhood
Dem Lt. Gov. Hopeful Voted for Abortion Ban So White Dems Don't Go Extinct
Hit with a wave of anger from his own party after he voted for a bill that essentially bans abortions after six weeks, Mississippi House Rep. Jay Hughes offered a …
Education
GOP Leaders Trick House Into Sending $2 Million to Private Schools
Mississippi will use millions in taxpayer dollars to fund private schools after Republican leaders in the Legislature secretly slipped funds into a bill for state construction projects.
Politics
Expanded Vouchers Not OK with Either Lt. Gov. Candidate, Short Debate Reveals
The Republican and Democratic candidates for Mississippi lieutenant governor found more to agree than disagree on in Thursday night's 30-minute debate, with similar positions on teacher pay, private-school vouchers and …
