Jackson Free Press

[Just In] Barbour Says He Won't ‘Streamline' Education

We just received this from Barbour's office: Contrary to what some have said, the "Operation: Streamline" legislation does not affect funding for education at all. There are no bills dealing …

Mississippi AG’s Race: What’s at Stake?

Since announcing his candidacy for the state AG's office, Mike Hurst has made fighting public corruption the centerpiece of his campaign as well as attacks against Jim Hood, whom Hurst …

JFP Voter Guide 2003 - Statewide

<b>Just Who Are these Guys and Gals?</b>

Democratic incumbent Ronnie Musgrove, 47, was a two-term state senator and former Mississippi lieutenant governor before replacing Kirk Fordice as the state's governor. Musgrove, who grew up poor and worked …

The GOP's Obsession with Tort Reform

As the health-insurance reform debate swirls, Gov. Haley Barbour is claiming that most Americans are actually looking for tort reform, not a government-guaranteed insurance option, to lower their health-care costs.

The AG's Race: Hoodwinking the Voters?

The race for attorney general is boiling down to two relevant choices: Do voters want a state lawyer who tries to distance himself from lawyers, or a lawyer who embraces …

Redistricting Hits the Courts

Gov. Haley Barbour's crusade for more Republican districts in the Mississippi House of Representatives is putting him at odds with the Mississippi NAACP, which wants the U.S. Department of Justice …

Barbour Compares Health Reform to Jonestown Massacre

Gov. Haley Barbour embarrassed Mississippians again today by standing up alongside several Republican members of Congress and calling the Democratic health-insurance reform "catastrophic," then compared it to Jim Jones' infamous …

Contract to Former Barbour Client Under Investigation

The New York Times is reporting Monday that a debris-removal contract awarded to a former lobbying client of Barbour is under congressional investigation:

EDITOR'S NOTE: Dehumanization Spreads Racism, Destroys Lives

Dehumanizing other human beings, as Trump does with about any person of color who dares criticize him, is ripping our country apart, just like it did during the Civil Rights …

Legislature Agrees on Budget

Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate budget negotiators came to an agreement yesterday on the 2011 budget that pays the state's education department $14 million less than it did in …

Voter ID Bill Clears Senate Panel

The Senate Elections Committee passed a bill today that would require all Mississippi voters to present a form of identification at the polling place. The bill, SB 2548, is sponsored …

State Lottery propsed for new revenue

Eric Stringfellow of the Clarion Ledger writes: "This measure also would be a great boost to morale, at least for the remaining employees. Barbour has also proposed reducing state government …

House bill added $184M to school funding

The Sun Herald reports: "The House's $2 billion K-12 spending bill, which passed by a 103-18 vote Tuesday, would fund the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, a formula established in 1997 …

Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Literary'

If anyone is aware of the multiple, offensive meanings of the term tar-baby, it's the former governor and Yazoo City native with a history of landing in hot water over …

Reeves to Rule on Redistricting

U.S. District Court Judge Carlton Reeves will preside over a controversial redistricting suit brought by the NAACP against the state of Mississippi. Judge Daniel P. Jordan, originally assigned to the …

Now Comes the Hard Part, Again

Mississippi's lawmakers may have approved $20 million in bonds for a state civil-rights museum last week, but the project still has major hurdles to clear before becoming a reality. Chief …

Barbour Refuses Special Session, Vows Fight

[Verbatim from Gov. Haley Barbour] Yesterday an "agreement in principle" on Medicaid issues was announced by Medicaid negotiators, but this so-called "solution" has a huge, fundamental flaw: It would give …

Mississippi's Gain is Michigan's Loss

Gov. Haley Barbour announced yesterday that United Chair, owned by Haworth, Inc. of Holland, Mich., is adding 125 jobs at its Bruce, Miss., location. The addition of jobs in north …

Barbour Declares Day of Prayer

Gov. Haley Barbour has declared today a "day of prayer" to commemorate the Mississippians who suffered losses in Saturday's tornadoes and last week's oil rig explosion in the Gulf of …

Judge Weighs Whether Mississippi Prison is ‘Excessively Harsh’

A federal judge sat through a monthlong trial last year over conditions at a privately run Mississippi prison, but that wasn't enough for him to make a decision on whether …