Jackson Free Press

State Revenues Down for May

Read the state's revenue report

Highways to Honor Black Leaders, Military Figures

Mississippi will name several state highways after black leaders and honorable military figures.

Gov. Haley Barbour signed a bill last week to change the names of many of the state's highways. Mississippi Highway 552 will be named after longtime Alcorn State University educator …

Hood: Governor's Vetoes Improper

Two of Gov. Haley Barbour's recent budget vetoes violate the Mississippi constitution, according to Attorney General Jim Hood. The non-binding opinion points out that the constitution does not allow vetoes …

Governor Signs DNA Bill

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour signed SB 2709 into law yesterday. The bill mandates that the state preserve DNA evidence and conduct DNA testing on biological evidence.

State of the State Tonight

Gov. Haley Barbour will deliver the twice-delayed Mississippi State-of-the-State speech tonight at 6 p.m. The speech, postponed because of water issues in Jackson, will air live on Mississippi Public Broadcasting …

No Deposit, No Return

If you were the melodramatic type, you might call it a nightmare. Barely a year into the new mandates, and increased (and largely unfunded) costs, of the federal No Child …

Integrating Yazoo: Race and Change in Haley Barbour's Hometown

Gloria Owens froze with fear as a German shepherd barreled toward her at the entrance of Yazoo City Junior High School on a fall morning in 1968. "Get that n*gger," …

Barbour Signs Children First Act

Yesterday, Gov. Haley Barbour put his signature on Senate Bill 2628, also known as the Children First Act of 2009.

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 …

Bus-Sized Tar Mats Sighted; Barbour Announces Study

A five- to six-mile stretch of large tar mats washed up on Long Beach Harbor late last night, reports The Sun Herald.

Kemper Coal Plant Controversy Rises at Ground Breaking

As Gov. Haley Barbour, state leaders and officials from the Mississippi Development Authority celebrated the groundbreaking of a $2.4 billion coal plant in Kemper County yesterday, the Gulf Restoration Network …

Neshoba County Fair Sked

The week-long Neshoba County Fair is a summer tradition of family, fun, festivities and politics in Philadelphia, Miss. On Thursday, candidates running for office kick off the political speeches, and …

Barbour Inaugural Trivia

At the ceremony, the Inaugural Committee handed out 4,000 Magnolia tree seedlings to the attendees. These young trees symbolize the potential for growth within the Magnolia State over the next …

Barbour Appeals Ballot Ruling

[Verbatim from Governor] Today's ruling by the Hinds County Circuit Court is being appealed today. The official ballot recommended by the Secretary of State, which I approved, is proper and …

State Greens to Protest Cheney/Barbour Fundraiser

Members and friends of the Green Party of Mississippi will be out in force to protest at the June 9 fundraising luncheon for Haley Barbour's Republican gubernatorial campaign at the …

Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Genocide'

When an advocate of southern secession doesn't sound that much different than a twice-elected governor, it's easy to see how much work there is left to do for reconciliation in …

Health Centers Fare Better Under Agreement

The state's mental-health facilities may be open another year, now that Democrats in the Mississippi House of Representatives agree with Republican Gov. Haley Barbour on a new $5.5 billion state …

Lawmakers Battle Barbour Over K-12 Budget

Mississippi Parent's Campaign Executive Director Nancy Loome praised a school funding bill the House passed yesterday, which she says adequately funds the state's K-12 education system.

The Great Compromise

After a failed attempt at filling the Medicaid budget shortfall last year, Mississippi lawmakers left the capitol city and returned home with a $10,000 salary and no solution. The prior …

Quick and Sloppy

A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson's office said a more thorough preliminary damage assessment might have prevented the Federal Emergency Management Agency's initial rejection of Gov. Haley Barbour's petition …