Jackson Free Press

Analysis: 2013 Session Mixes Substance, Silliness

Mississippi lawmakers approved substantial public policy changes during their 2013 session, with an emphasis on trying new approaches to public education.

Candidate Questionnaire: Ermea 'EJ' Russell (Senate District 22)

The Jackson Free Press emailed questionnaires to each candidate in the Senate District 22 race. The answers are the candidates' verbatim responses, with no edits whatsoever.

Mario Cuomo, a Giant in NY, Liberal Politics, Dies

Mario Cuomo died at his home in Manhattan on Thursday of natural causes due to heart failure, just hours after his son Andrew began his second term as New York's …

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves' 2003 Victory over Gary Anderson 'All About Race,' Critics Say

In his successful 2003 bid for state treasurer, critics accused current-Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves of running ads designed to remind voters that his Democratic opponent, Gary Anderson was black. …

[Editor's Note] A Romney Runs Through Us

Campaigning in Mississippi last week, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney set off a mini-firestorm in our offices. Sometime between joking about grits and forking up some hay, down-south style, Romney …

Head's Political Prognostications for 2006

2006 is going to be a really big year for politics--city, state, and national. Here's my take on what to expect.

'Teabaggers' Spin the Tenth

Interpreting the Constitution is a favorite American pastime. Differing opinions on just one sentence fill libraries to overflowing, and land legal cases in appeals courts and supreme courts from coast …

A Gift To Dems

No doubt, Democrats exit 2008 with a clear victory in federal government. Democratic President-elect Barack Obama claimed the White House with a 53-percent victory.

Welcome to the Terrordome

Just before the Senate convened on Monday, a young lawmaker tried to jam a fistful of blue and white pieces of paper into an already overstuffed bill box.

AG Candidates Praise 'Heartbeat Bill,' Anti-LGBT Laws, Tort Reform

About 50 people showed up at a venue that would seat 1,200 on Wednesday night to hear Republican candidates explain why voters should elect them as Mississippi's next attorney general—the …

Phil Bryant: Tea Party Governor

The running joke in Jackson political circles is that Phil Bryant is just three handshakes away from being a Hinds County sheriff's deputy.

Red And Ready To Rumble: The JFP Interview With Charlie Ross

Photos by Roy Adkins

Sen. Charlie Ross, R-Brandon, is confident this year. The 50-year-old senator is running for lieutenant governor against State Auditor Phil Bryant in the primaries, and possibly against Democratic Rep. Jamie …

Vol. 7, No 21

<b><u>Raise the Cigarette Tax</u></b>

Raise the Cigarette Tax Smoking kills almost 4,700 Mississippi residents each year and costs local taxpayers more than $719 million in health-care costs. Given the current economic crisis this state …

A Colorless World

I'm still steamed about Bill Bennett's idiotic comment, and his continuing failure to offer a credible apology for it. Yes, his political career is over; yes, his status as a …

Most Miss. Districts Choose Abstinence-Only

More than half of Mississippi's school districts have chosen an abstinence-only approach to sex education

Candidate Questionnaire: William 'Bo' Brown (House District 70)

The Jackson Free Press emailed questionnaires to each candidate in the House District 70 race. The answers are the candidates' verbatim responses, with no edits whatsoever.

10 Local Stories of the Week

There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.

Analysis: Random Social Issue Will Rile Miss. Legislators

In a few weeks, the Mississippi Legislature will work itself into a lather about something.

Normalizing White Supremacy

Upon reading an article that author David Edwards wrote about an interview on CNN where host Soledad O'Brien had a few things to say about the network "profiting off the …

Mormon Leaders Call for Measures Protecting Gay Rights

Mormon church leaders are making a national appeal for a "balanced approach" in the clash between gay rights and religious freedom.