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Mental Health Legislation Passed
House Bill 897, signed into law by Gov. Haley Barbour, creates a panel to study issues surrounding delivery of the state's mental health services and make recommendations for improvement.
Unemployment Nears 24 Percent in Some Counties
Five Mississippi counties reported jobless rates exceeding 20 percent in February, with Noxubee and Holmes counties edging toward a quarter of their populations collecting unemployment benefits; the counties reported rates …
Politics
Obamacare: Five Years and Counting
With Bryant's vow to undermine the ACA, the feds concluded that a state-run exchange was untenable. In January 2013, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius turned down Mississippi's …
Barbour Signs Tougher Stalking Law
Also: Listen to Rep. Brandon Jones and Sen. David Blount talk about the stalking bill on JFP Radio.
Barbour Declares State of Emergency
[verbatim from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency]
Governor Haley Barbour declared a State of Emergency today for the severe weather system that affected parts of the state late Wednesday afternoon and today, and for the threat of …
AG: Barbour ‘Abused' Office With Pardons
Update 8:26 p.m.: Hinds County Circuit Judge Tomie Green has granted Attorney General Hood's injunction, saying, "There is a substantial likelihood of success ..." in the case of Hood's challenges …
Hood Seeks Transparent Claims Process
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood and other Gulf states attorneys general will meet today with Ken Feinberg, BP claims administrator for the Obama administration, to present a protocol for residents …
Bill Adds Teeth to Stalking Law
Sitting on Gov. Haley Barbour's desk this morning awaiting his signature is a bill designed to give Mississippi's stalking laws some bite. House bill 1309 revises and strengthens the definition …
Fairgrounds Setup for Tornado Victim Donations
Officials are accepting donations for nonperishable food and bottled water at the Mississippi fairgrounds to assist victims of Saturday's tornados, reports The Sun Herald. The state Department of Agriculture opened …
Medicaid Agreement Reached
Around 11 p.m. last night, House Speaker Billy McCoy, D-Rienzi, announced from the House floor that the special budget committee has reached an agreement with Gov. Haley Barbour on the …
Cigarette Tax Goes Up in Smoke
The deadline has passed for the Mississippi House and Senate to come to an agreement on a cigarette tax hike for this session. Legislators had until 8 p.m. yesterday to …
Rape Victim: Fix the System
A rape victim asked Gov. Haley Barbour why he was allowing her rapist out on furlough. His answer may surprise you. Or maybe not.
AG Sues Barbour Over Veto
Citing case law that restricts the Mississippi governor from selectively vetoing the purpose of an appropriation and redistributing its funds, Attorney General Jim Hood filed a lawsuit against Gov. Haley …
Barbour Pardons Two More Woman Killers
Gov. Haley Barbour's going-away present for Mississippi is to put a trio of convicted murderers back out on our streets, including two more who brutally murdered the women in their …
Health Care
The Exchange Spat
Republicans are fighting themselves over a Mississippi health-insurance exchange.
Ronni Mott Responds to Hood on Hayne
On March 12, 2010, Radley Balko, formerly of Reason Magazine, published an email from Hood to coroners and others urging them to get legislators to vote against H.B. 1456. The …
Regular Legislative Session Ends with Unresolved Issues
The Mississippi Legislature's 2009 session ended temporarily today. With the 2010 budget yet to be resolved, lawmakers are planning a second session beginning in May or June.
Bill Reduces Out-of-State Tuition
The Mississippi Senate passed a bill last week to reduce tuition for out-of-state students, bringing their tuition in line with in-state students. The bill, S.B. 2285, is designed to encourage …
Tax-Free Weekend Bill Signed
Last week, Gov. Haley Barbour signed a bill into law that will save Mississippians shopping for school clothing and shoes the 7 percent sales tax during the last weekend in …
Minority Contractors Win Arbitration Award
[verbatim] An American Arbitration Association panel awarded minority contractor Fish & Fisher $1,283,351 in a dispute with white owned L & T Construction. The dispute arose over work performed by …
