Jackson Free Press

Barbour Wants $100 Million Cuts in Education, Mental Health

Gov. Haley Barbour wants to cut more than $100 million from education, mental health and other state services.

Negative Perceptions an Obstacle for Jackson

Communicating positive messages about Jackson's progress and ending negative perceptions about crime is important to attract new residents to the city of Jackson, Jackson State University professor B. D'Andra Orey …

Corporations Dodge Taxes While Schools Suffer

Public education suffers while many of the state's largest corporations pay no state taxes, children's advocates said yesterday.

The JFP Interview With Dave Dennis

In 1995, then-Mississippi Gov. Kirk Fordice announced his re-election campaign from the Gulfport home of Dave Dennis. Dennis had a lot in common with the governor. Both made their fortunes …

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's Press Pass

Watching Gov. Haley Barbour seize the national media spotlight feels a bit like seeing a bully from high school making it big. "I knew him when he was fat and …

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 …

NAACP Joins Redistricting Fray

The Mississippi NAACP today asked a federal court to stop state legislators from running in their current districts in August because they are not representative of black voters.

Speed Returns to MDA

A familiar face is returning to the Mississippi Development Authority. Jackson real-estate developer Leland Speed is temporarily taking the reins of the MDA as executive director until January 2012, the …

MPB Moves Toward Self-Sufficiency

Big underwriters with deep pockets could save Mississippi Public Broadcasting. To find those generous companies, MPB employees preoccupied with periodic membership drives need time to make convincing sales pitches. To …

Stadiums and Sticky Hands

Jackson State University will be the new owner of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium if Gov. Haley Barbour agrees.

Redistricting: Get Moving

The Mississippi House of Representatives did the right thing this week by stapling its Senate-rejected redistricting plan onto the Senate's own redistricting map. Both chambers must approve each other's redistricting …

State Economic Picture Improves

In light of an improved economic outlook, a panel of state lawmakers agreed today to adopt slightly higher estimates for state revenues in the 2011 and 2012 fiscal years.

Barbour Spokesman Resigns

Gov. Haley Barbour accepted the resignation yesterday of Press Secretary Dan Turner. Turner's resignation comes after a Politico blog entry about daily e-mails Turner sent out to the governor's staff …

Barbour Takes on National Economy

As the Mississippi Legislature gears up for a battle over the state's 2012 budget, Gov. Haley Barbour heads to Chicago today where he is expected to criticize President Barack Obama's …

Bryant: Voting Rights Act Rigs Elections

Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant spent the better half of a March 8 public forum mischaracterizing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as a former president's lingering attempt to influence southern …

School Funding Takes Hopeful Turn

An upcoming revised revenue estimate for Mississippi could give public-education advocates and supporters some breathing room. The state Legislature's Revenue Estimating Committee met this week, and Mississippi Parents' Campaign Executive …

Key AG Bills Headed to Barbour

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Five of the Attorney General Jim Hood's key legislative bills are now headed to the Governor for his signature.

HIV/AIDS Advocates Speak Out

Donna M., a homeless Jackson woman infected with HIV, threw away her medicine while living with family members, fearing that they would find out about the disease that she was …

MS Senate Keeps Ed Funding

A Senate Appropriation Committee's amendment that would have reduced Mississippi's K-12 education funding by $81 million failed yesterday in the Senate's 29-22 vote.