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Senate Grants Barbour More Budget Power
The Mississippi Senate passed a bill yesterday that would give Gov. Haley Barbour greater leeway in cutting state agencies to balance the state's budget. The bill, Senate Bill 2495, would …
Medicaid Shortfall Filled?
Mississippi's Medicaid shortfall is solved for the moment, according to a statement released today by Gov. Haley Barbour. Thanks to a refund of approximately $58.9 million from the federal Center …
House Approves Eminent Domain Limits
The Mississippi House of Representatives passed a bill yesterday restricting the use of eminent domain. The measure is similar to a voter initiative scheduled for the 2011 ballot and a …
Barbour Names Commission on School Consolidation
Gov. Haley Barbour announced yesterday the formation of an advisory panel on school consolidation, one of the more controversial suggestions from his November budget recommendations. Composed of state and local …
Civil Rights Museum Stirs Controversy, Again
State lawmakers will have a chance to act on Gov. Haley Barbour's recent call to move a proposed state civil-rights museum to downtown Jackson. Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, told the …
School Funding Takes Hopeful Turn
An upcoming revised revenue estimate for Mississippi could give public-education advocates and supporters some breathing room. The state Legislature's Revenue Estimating Committee met this week, and Mississippi Parents' Campaign Executive …
Barbour Will Call for Cuts to MAEP and Medicaid
Gov. Haley Barbour will announce a further round of budget cuts by Monday, he said today to business leaders at the Mississippi Economic Council's "Capitol Day." Barbour said that the …
House May Tap $100 Million of Reserve Fund
The Mississippi House of Representatives is expected to vote today on a plan to use $100 million in reserve funds this year to shore up agency budgets that were slashed …
Governor's Office Announces Employment Programs
Gov. Haley Barbour is attempting to combat dreary economic news with a month-long publicity push called "Let's Get Working Mississippi." The campaign is meant to draw attention to job training …
History's Return
Gov. Haley Barbour is a sucker for anniversaries, apparently. In his final State of the State address last week, the governor said that 2011—the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides …
Barbour Taps Leslie King for Supreme Court
Leslie King, a veteran state Court of Appeals judge, will take departing Justice James Graves' place on the Mississippi Supreme Court. Gov. Haley Barbour announced yesterday that he would appoint …
GO Zone Deadlines Coming and Going
Local governments in southern and central Mississippi must begin using federal funds for disaster recovery by the end of the year, according to Gov. Haley Barbour. Barbour recently sent a …
Protesters Seek Full Pardon for Scott Sisters
Paroled sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott deserve a full pardon for their alleged 1993 crime, protesters argued today. A crowd of more than 100 marched this morning from Farish Street …
Easy On Community Colleges?
In a budget proposal that suggested drastic consolidation of the state's K-12 school districts and public universities, Gov. Haley Barbour was noticeably less adamant about changes to the state's community …
State of the State: A Fact-Check
Gov. Haley Barbour used his final State of the State address, on Jan. 11, to tout his resume of accomplishments over two terms. Ever the savvy political communicator, the governor …
Lawmakers Closer to Balanced Budget
State legislators have reached a budget compromise, ending a months-long impasse days before the end of the fiscal year. House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement late Sunday on a …
Barbour Cheers Economy, Chides Obama
In his final State of the State address yesterday, Gov. Haley Barbour offered optimism about Mississippi's economic recovery, as well as criticism of President Barack Obama and the federal government. …
Schools Short on Pay Roll?
The latest round of state budget cuts has many Mississippi school districts facing difficult budgetary decisions. Gov. Haley Barbour announced $85 million in cuts to K-12 education last Wednesday, $76 …
Dim Prospects for House Plan to Restore Cuts
The Mississippi House of Representatives approved a plan yesterday to restore recent state budget cuts, but the proposal is unlikely to gain much traction in the state Senate or the …
Barbour Goes National, Again
Gov. Haley Barbour was in Washington, D.C., this weekend for the National Governors Association's annual conference, but he made headlines for extracurricular activities, speaking against the federal stimulus bill and …
