Jackson Free Press

House, Senate Switch Roles

The Mississippi Legislature ended the $330,000 special session this week around 10 p.m. Friday night with a final package of bills intended to help rebuild the Coast. Lawmakers managed to …

[Ladd] Haley's March to the Sea

On the JFP blog recently, someone asked me if I was willing to give Gov. Haley Barbour the benefit of the doubt. That question gave me pause. I think of …

Barbour Touts Tort Reform; Insurance Reformers Answer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Today, Gov. Haley Barbour held a press conference to declare a victory for his controversial tort-reform legislation. Barbour's statement is verbatim below; a PDF of a 10-page response by the …

Socrates Garrett

Jackson business owner Socrates Garrett encouraged community members to work across political and racial divides during a forum at Koininia Coffee House this morning.

Following the DHS Scanner Money

In order for low-income child-care centers to get reimbursed by the state, parents and guardians must scan his or her finger when picking up or dropping off their child.

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 …

Smooth Talk: Barbour on the Budget

The former lobbyist was smooth. Gov. Haley Barbour touched on a lot of issues that many Mississippians think are important in his first State of the State address last month. …

Of Mergers and MAEP

As the Mississippi Legislature writes the 2013 budget, funding for public schools is likely to be up for debate. Specifically, legislators will consider how much funding to put toward the …

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 …

Barbour Aborts Building Takeover

While under scrutiny from the Jackson Free Press and other government officials, Gov. Haley Barbour is backing off his expensive idea of moving his and other offices into the Sillers …

Sheriffs Ask Barbour to Spare Crisis Centers

County sheriffs from across Mississippi yesterday urged Gov. Haley Barbour to spare the state's mental-health crisis centers, which Barbour targeted for closure in his 2011 budget proposal. Speaking at the …

Behind Barbour's Prison Rhetoric

To hear Gov. Haley Barbour tell it, if he doesn't get his way, the state's fiscal crisis could force thousands of felons out of jail and into communities. Since his …

Our Haley Barbour: The 'Anti-Obama'?

Newsweek has a story this week asking if Haley Barbour will be the next president. The story starts:

Barbour Suspends Scott Sisters' Sentences

cover story on the Scott sisters

Nader Slams ‘Paymasters'

Green Party presidential hopeful Ralph Nader came to town June 16, sounding more like his old ball-busting, consumer-advocate self than a man trying to upset the presidential apple cart.

Barbour Ignoring Black Judge Applicants?

The Mississippi Magnolia Bar claims Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has proved leery of appointing blacks to judicial positions since he won the governor's office in 2003.

Legislative Agenda

With coastal construction driving healthy tax revenues, you might expect smooth sailing for this year's legislative session. After all, tight budgets mean tough choices, and tough choices mean bare-knuckle fights …

Barbour Releases Long Statement: ‘I'm Not Infallable'

Gov. Haley Barbour's office just sent this statement in response to the state and national outcry over his pardons and grants of clemency. It is reprinted here verbatim:

Voter ID: ‘Not About Intimidation'

Despite efforts by the Mississippi Legislature to compromise on voter identification during the regular session, Gov. Haley Barbour held a May 13 press conference to demonstrate that he wants no …

UPDATED: Elected Judges: Battered, Bought ... But Still Better

Pointing out that Gov. Haley Barbour has not appointed one black judge out of 18 judicial appointments to date, two attorneys and a Supreme Court justice agreed at a Saturday …