Jackson Free Press

Rally Protests Contraceptive Rule

American and Christian flags stood on equal footing in front of the U.S. Courthouse in Jackson Friday as about 60 people gathered to protest a rule that requires health-insurance plans …

Employers Shouldn't Dictate Birth Control Choices

Dr. Beverly McMillan is against birth control. Or at least any kind of hormonal birth control, from the regular pill to the morning-after pill, all of which she considers to …

• 1 comment

Anti-Abortion Groups Protest Contraceptive Rule

About 60 people in Jackson took part in a rally Friday to protest a rule that requires health insurance for most employees to cover contraceptives.

Rep. John Lewis Rallies Dems

Sometimes, Democrats like to feast on red meat, too. At this year's Jefferson Jackson Hamer Dinner, held Friday at the Regency Hotel in Jackson, Georgia U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a …

Dr. Carl Reddix Talks About Political Realities

Dr. Carl Reddix wasn't looking for national media attention when he agreed to serve on the Mississippi Board of Health, but if it has people talking about public-health policy in …

‘Sunshine Law' Pushes Costs Up

By the time the legislative session ended in early May, lawmakers had passed two controversial bills that are likely to result in expensive legal battles. One requires doctors performing abortions …

Bryant Signs Voter ID Bill

Despite Gov. Phil Bryant signing the voter-identification bill recently passed in the Legislature, the measure isn't law just yet. The federal government still has to OK the controversial measure before …

2012 Legislative Session Ends

The mood in the Mississippi House chamber after Rep. Mark Formby made the motion to adjourn sine die was similar to the last day of school before summer vacation.

‘Where I Am, You May Not Harm'

Joan Chittister's voice fairly resonates with passion. Her broad smile belies a fierce intelligence and a barely disguised rage at injustice of any sort, especially over systemic injustices of poverty …

The Lies We Tell

Last Friday's email brought this little gem to my inbox: Super PACs spent $23 million on deceptive or misleading advertising in GOP primary races, more than half of all advertising …

Women ‘Unite' for Rights

Mississippi's Unite Women march last Saturday felt more like a community picnic than a politically charged demonstration, as participants spread blankets under shade trees in front of the state Capitol's …

[Barkley] Power of the Purse and the Pill

Women's personal economies have always been tied to their ability to control their reproduction.

Beauty, Pain of Womanhood

Sometimes when people find that the play "For Colored Girls..." is going to be performed in their town, they think of the Tyler Perry adaptation. "I already saw the movie," …

Rally Part of National Effort

People around the nation are watching Mississippi to see how its politicians and voting public treat reproductive issues, protesters said at the Capitol Saturday.

Under Pressure: Fighting to Keep ‘Choice' In State

Shelley Abrams is fighting the state of Virginia's attack on abortion rights. She oversees several clinics that provide legal abortion services, including one in Virginia and several other southern states. …

‘Father' Doesn't Always Know Best

At a recent event featuring Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, Gunn told the audience that Reeves and his wife had recently celebrated the birth of their third …

‘Father' Doesn't Always Know Best

At a recent event featuring Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, Gunn told the audience that Reeves and his wife had recently celebrated the birth of their third …

At Capitol, Jackson a Winner and Loser

You know that old expression about the calm before the storm? Such has been the mood at the state Capitol for the past couple weeks. The relatively tranquil period follows …

Anti-Abortion ‘TRAP' Law Part of Nationwide Trend

The governor signed the first major piece of anti-abortion legislation into law this year—a measure designed to close the state's only abortion clinic.

No More Regs, Except ...

During his 2011 campaign for governor, Phil Bryant promised that, if elected, his administration would closely scrutinize state regulations on small companies.