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‘Take The Fight To The People'
Jackson County Chancery Court Judge Jaye Bradley reversed her own December 2000 decision earmarking $20 million to The Partnership For a Healthy Mississippi, possibly jeopardizing the program's smoking-cessation programs.
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AG's Office to Trusty: You Got Served
When state investigators caught up to convicted murderer Joseph Ozment Sunday night, he was living in a Laramie, Wyo. hotel and driving the Mercedes-Benz of his fiancee, LaChina Tillman, who …
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Barbour to Testify Against Clean Energy
Today, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee begins major hearings exploring how to reduce global warming and build a clean energy economy. The Waxman-Markey bills and related legislation is …
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Talk
Saving the Best for Last?
When Mississippians vote this November, they may find the hotly contested U.S. Senate race between Roger Wicker and Ronnie Musgrove buried near the end of the ballot.
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Quote o' the Week
— Gov. Haley Barbour, Neshoba County Fair, July 29, 2004
"Mississippi taxpayers shouldn't pay for health care coverage that the federal government will pay for."
Entry
Why is a Canton PAC Interested in Jackson's Mayoral Election?
By R.L. NaveENI, a Canton, Miss.-based political-action committee formed in late March.
But that's about all we know so far.
The statement of organization, filed with the Jackson city clerk's office April 2, indicates the committee is not authorized by any particular candidate and its purpose is "to raise money in relation to the City of Jackson Mayoral Special Election."
The form lists Alance McKinney of Jackson as ENI's president/director and Fletcher Shaw of Canton as secretary/treasurer. State records also show a south Jackson address for two dissolved companies. Reached by phone, Shaw said the PAC was set up to back a candidate in the mayor's race, but referred a Jackson Free Press reporter to attorney John P. Martin, who prepared ENI's paperwork, for particulars.
"It's a political-action committee set up and established based upon the guidelines the election commission set up — no less or no more," Shaw told JFP.
Martin, of the Canton firm of Montgomery McGraw PLLC, called the JFP back Thursday to say that his firm's role in the PAC is only to serve as its agent.
Employees of Montgomery McGraw, including partner Bob Montgomery, a former Mississippi state senator and chief of staff to former Democratic U.S. Rep. G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery, have contributed to several political candidate campaigns over the years.
Most recently, Bob Montgomery gave to Republicans Gov. Phil Bryant, transportation Commissioner Dick Hall and Lucien Smith, a 2011 state treasurer candidate who now serves as Bryant's chief-of-staff. In past elections, Montgomery also gave to Republicans former Gov. Haley Barbour, Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck and Tate Reeves when he was state treasurer.
In addition, Montgomery has contributed to former Democratic Insurance Commissioner George Dale as well as several state supreme court candidates, races that are officially nonpartisan.
Fletcher Shaw said the ENI would be in compliance with state financial disclosure rules; runoff candidates—Chokwe A. Lumumba and Tony Yarber—will be required to file reports on Tuesday, April 15.
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Politics
Charles Barbour: On Kooks, Black Families and His Wife
Charles Barbour, 52, studied criminal justice at the University of Mississippi. As a city councilman, he would like to see the Jackson Police Department adequately funded but given financial oversight.
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[Fleming] Barbour: Be Proud, But Not Arrogant
"If thou desire the love of God and man, be humble, for the proud heart, as it loves none but itself, is beloved of none but itself. Humility enforces where …
Story
Gone and Back Again?
Resolution 655 may pave the way for a tobacco tax designed to pay for Medicaid shortfalls.
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Mississippi Farmers Could See 100 Percent Crop Losses
The Mississippi State Fair isn't the only thing suffering because of the state's run of bad weather. The state is considering declaring entire Mississippi counties disaster areas because of enormous …
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Icky: ‘Heritage' Operative on Barbour's Staff
Just when you thought that the past was another half-mile behind us, something like this comes to light. The Associated Press reported:
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Services Aren't Like Toasters
Politicians, especially the tight-fisted ones, love to compare the government to your home. When money is tight at home, they'll explain condescendingly, you may have to send your toaster to …
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Services Aren't Like Toasters
Politicians, especially the tight-fisted ones, love to compare the government to your home. When money is tight at home, they'll explain condescendingly, you may have to send your toaster to …
Story
[Capitol Report] Open Hands Abound
The House Ways and Means Committee continued the hearing on bond project proposals at a June 16 meeting at the State Capitol. The hearing, part of the preparation for the …
Story
Oil on Mississippi Beaches
More than two months after the Deepwater Horizon sank in the Gulf of Mexico and millions of gallons of oil began spewing into the waters, on Sunday, Mississippi began to …
Story
Civil Rights Museum Funding Advances In House
A proposed national civil-rights museum in downtown Jackson could receive $30 million in state funds, under a bill up for consideration by the state House of Representatives. The House Ways …
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Do Costs of Drilling Outweigh Benefits?
If Mississippi's own tourism website touts the pristine beaches, dunes and endangered wildlife-viewing on the Gulf of Mexico barrier islands, Capt. Louis Skrmetta can't understand why the state wants to …
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Mississippi Runoffs Set for 2 Judicial and 2 House Seats
Runoffs will decide one seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court, one on the state Court of Appeals and two in the state House of Representatives.
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Do the Right Thing in Disasters
There's an expression that says if the nation sneezes, Mississippi catches the flu.
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City & County
State Sues Jackson Over Refusal to Police Fair
The city of Jackson appears to have won the first round in a game of chicken against the Mississippi State Fair Commission over not providing fair security.
