Jackson Free Press

In Mississippi, Retiring Officials Can Pocket Campaign Cash

When former Mississippi Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck shut down her campaign committee in the closing days of 2013, she took a parting gift — the $158,342 remaining in the account.

Jails and Prisons Also Need Adequate Funding

Although the state of Mississippi's criminal-justice system always seems to be in the news, lately there's been a flurry of bad press for the state's jails and prison system.

Legislative Round-up: Week 1

The House Appropriations Committee started the 2007 legislative session off with a gun-shot—but then fell on its face later that day. The committee approved a total of seven money bills …

[Breaking] Education Funding Talks Break Down

[Just in from a "plumber" (our new word for unnamed source)]: "Budget negotiations, especially funding for education have completely broken down. The House has held firm for (close to) full …

Blackmon-Tuck Clash in Debate

Is it just me, or does it seem like a weird question to ask two candidates for a major office to waste time asking candidates if they can say something …

The Politics of Voter ID

Photos by Adam Lynch and Kate Medley

Candidates tend to look for issues to separate themselves from their opponents. It's a tough order in conservative Mississippi, where many nominees on both sides of the political spectrum agree …

Objets D'Espoir: Artists Put It Back Together Again

Every day after Hurricane Katrina decimated her studio and ripped her home off its foundation, Bay St. Louis artist Lori Gordon picked her way through piles of debris to the …

Real-Life Horror Stories

John Grisham says Haley Barbour should sign a moratorium on executions in Mississippi. "Absolutely. If I had my way, we'd stop all of them," Grisham said.

[Barbour] Danger Looming Large

We lost the possibility of children; we did not lose children.

Doris Shavers Killer Pleads Guilty

Henry Lee Phillips pleaded guilty today to murdering his former girlfriend, Doris Shavers, 40, on Sept. 17, 2007, as Shavers combed her 12-year-old daughter's hair before leaving for work. The …

172,787 Voters Registered in Mississippi Since January

Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann just released the number of new voters who have registered in Mississippi since the beginning of the year: 172,787, which means that current registered …

Governor Commutes One Killer's Sentence, Not Another

In a move that illustrates the erratic nature of America's justice system, Gov. Haley Barbour commuted the sentence of Michael David Graham last Thursday, July 17. Graham, convicted for shooting …

Entergy Funding 2 Museums Admission for 95 People Every Day in May

Entergy Mississippi Inc. is celebrating its 95th anniversary with a company donation of $25,000 to the pair of museums that will make admission free for the first 95 attendees every …

Trump, in UN Debut, Urges the World Body to Reform

President Donald Trump made his debut at the United Nations on Monday, using his first appearance to urge the 193-nation organization to reduce bureaucracy and costs while more clearly defining …

S.C. Primary: Cruz Tells Trump to Sue Him, Rubio Gets Gubernatorial Endorsement

CHAPIN, S.C. (AP) — A three-way feud among the GOP's leading White House contenders escalated Wednesday, with Republican Ted Cruz daring Donald Trump to sue him and dismissing Marco Rubio's …

Court Revives Suit Over Mississippi School Funding Disparity

A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit that says Mississippi allows grave disparities in funding between predominantly black and predominantly white schools.

Running Out Of Gas

Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin says his fleet is suffering from increased gas prices and claims the Hinds County Board of Supervisors does not have a serious grasp of the …

EDITOR'S NOTE: Dear Dr. Dobbs, Mississippi Needs Precise COVID-19 Data

It’s often been a slog to get good and relevant information about the spread of the coronavirus that isn’t either confusing or incomplete, or what we get may combine apples …

State Democrats Undemocratic?

Last month, the Mississippi Democratic Party filed suit with the federal district court in Greenville charging that the state's open primaries violate voting rights. Mississippi Democratic Communications Director Sam Hall …

Undocumented Workers, Felons and Fines

Illegal immigrants and employers of illegal immigrants beware. The House passed Senate Bill 2988 by a wide margin today. The bill, called the Mississippi Employee Protection Act, forces all employers …