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Editor's Note
Trump’s Politically Correct Call for Bigotry, Hate
It's really hard to find a stronger sign that Donald Trump hopes to become a fascist dictator of people and thought in America, and he's playing to very ugly instincts …
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Runoff Elections Today
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m today for state and local runoff elections.
Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree and Clarksdale businessman Bill Luckett, both Democrats, face each other in the governors race while Republican Lynn Fitch, of Madison, and state Sen. Lee Yancey, of …
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Entergy Drops Rates in Mississippi
After a year of investigation and outcry, Entergy is asking the Mississippi Public Service Commission to approve another 14 percent drop in its fuel adjustment starting Jan. 1. This new …
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No. 22, Vol. 4
<b><u>She Had It Coming</b></u>
It is indeed laudable that you are pressing to have this unfortunate young woman's remains returned to her family in Omaha ("Missing Shannon," Feb. 2-8, 2006), and the authorities involved …
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Politics
UPDATED: GOP Tracker Impersonates JFP Reporter at Espy Event, Campaign Says; PAC Denies
A tracker apparently working for the right-wing America Rising PAC impersonated a Jackson Free Press reporter at a campaign event Friday, campaign staff for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy …
Entry
Reeves Attacks Bill Minor for Attacking ALEC
By R.L. NaveToday, Tate Reeves addressed the 40th annual confab of the American Legislative Exchange Council in Chicago.
In praising ALEC, Reeves took a shot at venerated Mississippi columnist Bill Minor.
Reeves said:
"Well, a few months ago he decided to attack ALEC," he said of Minor. "You see – Mr. Minor doesn’t believe legislators from around the country should gather to share ideas on how government can get out of the way so businesses can grow. Even more sinister, legislators also listen to businessmen and women on ways to add jobs and raise the personal income of our constituents.
Know that Steve (Seale) wasted no time in setting Mr. Minor straight on ALEC’s purpose – to act as a “forum for lawmakers to share ideas, grow a stronger Democracy and help make government work more efficiently and effectively.”
For the uninitiated, ALEC is like an Obamacare health-care exchange for conservative legislation. It's where conservative lawmakers shop for conservative legislation to earn political support of conservative voters.
Here's a press release from Reeves' office, which includes the full text of his speech:
MISSISSIPPI WORKS TO STRENGTHEN BUSINESS CLIMATE, LT. GOV. REEVES TELLS LEGISLATORS, BUSINESS OWNERS
CHICAGO – Mississippi is open for business and seeing success in attracting more jobs, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves told a crowd of legislators from around the country at the 40th Annual Meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council.
Lt. Gov. Reeves recounted legislative successes to grow businesses and reform education at the closing lunch with economist Dr. Arthur Laffer, who was member of President Reagan’s Economic Policy Advisory Board. Because Lt. Gov. Reeves was a featured speaker, ALEC funded his trip, and no taxpayer dollars were spent. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad also spoke at the meeting.
“With every bill that crosses my desk … I ask ‘Does this help the private sector grow and create jobs for Mississippians?’” Lt. Gov. Reeves told the audience. “That’s the approach we’ve tried in Mississippi. It’s working.”
In ALEC’s Rich States, Poor States report, Mississippi earned the 10th best economic outlook of all the states. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis ranked the state’s GDP growth rate 17th in the nation after the economy grew 2.4 percent in 2012.
Lt. Gov. Reeves cited the 2012 updates to the workers compensation law, the $150 million tax break on inventory costs for small business and the Attorney General Sunshine Act as ways Mississippi is improving the business climate. He also spoke of education reform efforts in 2013 to provide students with a better opportunity for success.
“We can’t have a strong business climate without a strong workforce,” Lt. Gov. Reeves said. “And we can’t have a strong workforce without better education. It’s a simple formula, and one Mississippi has to master.”
Text of Lt. Gov. Reeves’ speech:
ALEC 2013 – Closing Lunch
I appreciate the privilege of speaking to you today. Appearing on the same …
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Chicks We Love
Every year, the Jackson Free Press chooses a delightful slate of Chicks We Love to spotlight, and each year we host the JFP Chick Ball to raise money to fight …
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Disaster Remarks by Barbour, McCoy, Tuck, Others
Transcribed Remarks by the Governor and other state officials/MEMA Press Conference/Jackson, MS
Governor Haley Barbour: "Before I start trying to share some briefing with you… First, I'm pleased that the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker accompanied me to the coast today to …
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Person of the Day
Patrick Harkins: A Businessman with a Band
"I like to work with the mantra of positivity and doing the best we can every day to give our community the gift of music," says Patrick Harkins, owner of …
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Politics
How Gov. Phil Bryant Is Hurting Mississippi
In my personal journey in the fight for fairness, equality and progress, I have come to a stark conclusion: Gov. Phil Bryant is single-handedly preventing our state from progressing and …
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No More Autopsies for Steven Hayne
Radley Balko at Reason Magazine and WLBT are reporting that Mississippi's long-time de facto medical examiner, Steven Hayne, will no longer be doing autopsies in the state. Balko writes:
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[Lott] Less Partisan, More Plainspoken
To win the War on Terror we must recognize it for what it should be—a deadly serious fight to save American lives. When we treat it as a political exercise …
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Is Our Entire System of Government in JXN/Hinds/MS/U.S. Corrupt? Or just Incompetent?
I dunno folks. Ive become preeety apathtic lately and indifference has crept in. I think that if we as good citizens are to actually get something accomplished we can pretty …
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Politics
GOP Mailers Misleadingly Paint Espy as a Criminal
A series of campaign mailers the Mississippi Republican Party sent out around the state this week misleadingly paint Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy as a "corrupt" criminal for charges …
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[Ladd] Thin Line Between Love and Hate
I was talking to a young woman the other day who is in the family of a Jackson man who toiled and lobbied and prodded and threatened for many years …
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Entergy: Global Warming Threatens Coast
Entergy Corp. says the Mississippi Gulf Coast will suffer $370 billion in losses to global warming if power companies do not offset the amount of carbon they are putting into …
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Politics
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 …
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City & County
Mayoral Campaigns, PACs Spending Big on Ads, Some Secretly
With two young candidates who are relatively unknown to big parts of Jackson, the airwaves were expected to be a major battleground in the capital city's mayor's race.
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Salter Takes on Taxation Myths; Barbour Responds
Update: Pasted below (in the comments) is a statement from Barbour, in minutes ago, about his take on the state's "budget myths." Enjoy.
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The Second Storm
Last week, the House released "A Failure of Initiative," a report on the government's failures in Katrina. The report details the "organizational paralysis" that bottled up critical information for hours, …
