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A Chokwe Lumumba Primer: His 2013 JFP Interview, Audio, Campaign Reports
Chokwe Lumumba first came to Jackson in the early 1970s as a civil-rights activist. He returned to Michigan shortly after to attend law school, returning to Mississippi in 1988.
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Show Us That Clinton is Better for DOR
The Department of Finance and Administration has finally made its long-awaited recommendation for a new permanent home for the Department of Revenue, which is now housed in a Quonset hut …
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Shotgun Blues
Democratic lawmakers are questioning why the Mississippi Legislature is getting a funding boost when other agency budgets are shrinking. Democrats point to this year's $30 million legislative operations budget.
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Miss. Governor Nominates Anti-Abortion Lobbyist to Health Board
By RonniMottGov. Phil Bryant has nominated staunch pro-life activist Terri Herring for the Mississippi Board of Public Health.
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DOR Not Coming to Downtown Jackson
By R.L. NaveThe Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration, which oversees the operation of state buildings, has recommended the former Worldcom Building in Clinton as the permanent home for the Department of Revenue, now housed in what's practically a shed, also in Clinton.
Downtown Jackson had been a front-runner for agency HQ, especially after a 2011 report commissioned by then-Gov. Haley Barbour said buying the Landmark Building would be the cheapest option for our cash-strapped state.
The issue has since become politically charged with Speaker Philip Gunn wanting to keep the agency close to his Clinton district.
DFA explains its rational in the following verbatim news release:
MS Department of Finance & Administration Recommends New Location for the MS Department of Revenue
Today, the MS Department of Finance & Administration has determined that, on the basis of receiving the highest evaluation score, the Mississippi Department of Revenue should execute a 20 year lease agreement with Duckworth Realty for the relocation of its offices to the South Pointe Building (the former Worldcom Building) in Clinton, MS. The initial annual cost to the State would be $2,878,000 resulting in a total cost of $41,428,492 (net present value) for the term of the lease agreement. This offer represented the lowest total cost to the State. The proposal submitted by Duckworth for the South Pointe Building includes 187,511 square feet of office space, 600 parking spaces, tenant improvements, security and janitorial services. The lease term would begin July 1, 2014.
Kevin J. Upchurch, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Finance & Administration, stated “We are pleased to have a more permanent solution to the issue of housing the MS Department of Revenue. The selection process was thorough and comprehensive. The main objectives of this process were the cost to the taxpayers, ease of access for citizens, and securing a more permanent, functional facility for MDOR employees. I am satisfied that this location meets all of those objectives.”
On November 1, 2012, DFA issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to obtain new offices for the Mississippi Department of Revenue (MDOR) via a long term lease. A team consisting of three DFA employees and two MDOR employees was assembled to evaluate all proposals based on pre-defined calculations and scoring criteria. The State received six proposals and three were selected for further review. The three finalists were Hertz Investment Group, LLC (The Landmark Building), Ergon (Diversified Technologies Building), and Duckworth Realty (South Pointe Building).
DFA contracted with Allred Architectural Group, P.A. of Ocean Springs, MS to perform test fit analysis, building assessments, and environmental assessments of the three proposed buildings. This review was designed to determine each building’s ability to meet the needs of the MDOR. The review was also designed to identify any deficiencies within the buildings. Based on the results of these analyses, each finalist was asked to the submit a Best and Final Offer in which they were to explain how any noted deficiencies would be addressed, as well as, make any final …
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Analysis: Miss. AG Legal Fees, Expenses Top $2.4M
An ongoing lawsuit challenging Mississippi's foster care system has cost the state at least $4.4 million in legal expenses and fees since 2008.
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Foster System Remains ‘Unacceptable’
Jamison J. had shuffled through 28 foster homes, mental institutions and temporary shelters, by the time he was 17 years old.
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Voter ID Dispute Snags Miss. Sec of State Budget
Mississippi senators rejected the secretary of state's budget Thursday over an argument about paying lawyers to defend a proposed voter identification law.
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No Money, No Luck
A common refrain throughout Mississippi's legislative session so far has involved, for better or worse, the outsourcing of certain government functions to private entities.
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A 'Drunkard' at Belhaven
Community members might be surprised that the conservative Belhaven University is putting on a play called "The Drunkard." But despite the provocative title, this family-friendly play fits in with the …
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From Punishment to Healing: Moving Mental-Health Care Home
Jennifer Michaels traces her mental-health problems back to Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, when she was 12 years old.
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HHS Denies Mississippi's Plan for Exchange
Commissioner Mike Chaney said he feels the Obama administration has betrayed him for denying the state's application.
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House Bill Would Move Revenue Dept. to Clinton
House members want to move the Department of Revenue to a new home in Speaker Philip Gunn's district.
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At Capitol, Much at Stake for Jackson
With a renewed push underway for a local-option sales tax, Jackson could at last get some aid in paying for maintenance projects the city has in the works.
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Bryant Ignores Jackson in Address
Conspicuously absent from the governor’s eight-and-a-half page speech was any mention of the capital city.
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More Gun Control in Mississippi
With statewide household gun ownership at 54 percent in Mississippi, it's no secret that heightened gun-control laws aren't likely to get much support from the state Legislature.
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Weapons of Mass Destruction
The gun lobby has become too strong, too strident and a bit insane.
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APNewsBreak: Miss. Settles with Solar Firm
The state of Mississippi settled a lawsuit Tuesday with Twin Creeks, a California solar panel company that went out of business after the state spent $27.7 million to construct a …
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Community Events and Public Meetings
The Jackson State University Summer Internship Fair is Jan. 16, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., at the New Engineering Building in room 100 and the atrium.