Jackson Free Press

Oil Spill Threatens Mississippi Seafood, Tourism

Gov. Haley Barbour declared today a "day of prayer" to commemorate the Mississippians who died in an April 20 explosion on a Gulf BP oil rig, but third generation ferry …

GOP PR Firm, Others Under Scrutiny

Sid Salter has an intriguing bit today on his blog about PR firms under scrutiny by the legislative PEER Committee.

City Crime Rankings: ‘Invalid, Damaging and Irresponsible'

We've been warning Jackson for years about the "dangerous" city rankings scam designed to sell books. Leaders in most cities across American cringe and complain when the CQ Press (formerly …

Barbour Details ‘Streamline' Budget

[verbatim statement] (Jackson, Miss.)-- Governor Haley Barbour was joined today by Lieutenant Governor Amy Tuck and scores of legislators as he filed the bill that represents his budget-fixing plan, "Operation: …

Big Budget Wars

Gov. Haley Barbour is in crisis mode. The state is up against a $715 million budget shortfall in fiscal year 2011, by his estimates, and another $500 million shortage in …

Barbour: 'Why I'll Veto the Tax Bill'

*verbatim via e-mail* There has been a lot of discussion over the past few days about Senate Bill 2310, which proposes to eliminate the sales tax on groceries and increase …

Coalition Calls for ‘Meaningful' Insurance Reform

Gov. Haley Barbour may be getting more than he bargained for in the 2004 Extraordinary Session he called to wrangle the House of Representatives into accepting his versions of tort …

Barbour's Cross to Bear

In 1968 in Yazoo City, Police Chief Ardis Russell Sr. arrested a black mother, LeBertha Owens, for trying to take her young daughter, Gloria, to the public library for materials …

Reeves Falsely Claims Hood Will Let 'Terrorists and Rapists' Vote

Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican candidate for governor this year, misled voters on Tuesday when he claimed that state Attorney General Jim Hood would allow "terrorists and rapists" …

Immigration Bill a Reality

Well, he signed it. Gov. Haley Barbour caved in to the screaming fury of conservative talk radio and the raging rant of phone calls and signed into law SB 2988, …

Money, Medicaid and ... Money

The House and Senate addressed funding for state agencies last week, passing a number of revenue bills tapping into the state's projected $19 billion bank account. One of them was …

Women's Fund Gets It Wrong … Twice

The Jackson Free Press has been a strong supporter of The Women's Fund—including giving proceeds raised by our production of "The Vagina Monologues" this year to the group. We applaud …

House Votes to Expand Unemployment Benefits

More Mississippians could qualify for unemployment insurance under a bill the Mississippi House of Representatives passed Saturday. The Senate adjourned hours before the vote, meaning the Legislature will not bring …

Republican Mayor Lott to Endorse John Eaves Today

Verbatim from the Eaves campaign:

LUMBERTON — Republican Mayor Aaron Lott of Lumberton will endorse Democrat John Eaves for Governor during a news event at 2 p.m. today, Thursday, September 27, 2007. The event will …

Gov. Haley Barbour

"To the Freedom Riders yourselves, our state does celebrate and thank you for your courage, your commitment, your suffering and your sacrifices of 50 years ago. We apologize to you …

Outcome of PERS Study Uncertain

Speculation has been running rampant since August, when Gov. Haley Barbour appointed a commission to study the Public Employees' Retirement System.

Obama Appoints Mason to Federal HBCU Board

President Barack Obama announced Friday that he wants Jackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr. on the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The board exists …

Waller Leads Supreme Court race as Randolph, Coleman Win

Newcomer Josiah Coleman cruised to a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court, while Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. held a solid lead over state Rep. Earle Banks, a Jackson Democrat …

Some Thoughts on the 2007 Elections

With the March 1st filing deadline fast approaching, I don't see any evidence that any well-known Democrat has emerged to make a viable challenge to Haley Barbour. A channel surf …

Utility Watchdog Employees Furloughed

Among the budget bills that failed to get to the governor's desk earlier this week were appropriations to fund the Public Service Commission and the Public Utilities agency. Without funding, …