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Grading the Lawmakers
Political and community activist Rims Barber released a 2010 political report card grading legislators based on their votes for 10 progressive bills that filed through the 2010 legislative session before …
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Legislators Eye State Budget
The Mississippi Legislature was back in action April 20 to approve a $5.5 billion fiscal-year 2011 budget and the re-authorization of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.
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[Collier] Matters of the Heart
Just about all my formal education was whitewashed. The things I knew about the parts of American history that weren't white, I learned from my family.
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The Cost of ‘Tough on Crime'
Jackson resident Almona Fleming is a placid woman, prone to introspective stares and thoughtful contemplation during interviews. Her calm demeanor says nothing about the writhing coil of hunger that for …
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Consultants Recommend Merging School Districts
A consulting firm hired to evaluate Mississippi public school districts for possible consolidations have recommended merging 18 of the state's 149 underperforming districts with their larger neighbors. The company, Augenblick, …
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Michael Wallace
The American Bar Association is a sore topic for Jackson attorney Michael Wallace, who is now representing Mississippi in a multi-state lawsuit against health-care reform.
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Barbour Joins Health Care Suit
Despite Attorney General Jim Hood's advice, Gov. Haley Barbour announced today that he will join a multi-state lawsuit against national health-care legislation President Barack Obama signed last month.
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Barbour Criticized for Slavery Insensitivity
Gov. Haley Barbour earned the ire of many when he downplayed a controversy over state proclamations of Confederate History Month--which omitted any mention of slavery--in comments last weekend.
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Hood: ‘Haste Makes Waste'
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is not taking action to join a multi-state lawsuit against recently passed federal health-care reform legislation. In a letter sent to Gov. Haley Barbour on …
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State Again Tries to Take Over Levee Board
A member of the Two Lakes of Mississippi Foundation rattled the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District Levee Board at its meeting this morning with another attempt by …
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Barbour: Slavery Omission ‘Doesn't Matter for Diddly'
Speaking Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," Gov. Haley Barbour defended fellow Republican Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's recent proclamation of Confederate History Month that did not reference slavery. While …
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New Charter School Law Brings New Costs
Former Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Earl Watkins said a new charter school law that both the House and Senate approved last month will carry additional costs to the local public-school …
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Recovering our Confidence
In the first glimmer of good news Mississippi has seen over its lagging tax revenues, the State Tax Commission reported an increase in collections of about a half a percentage …
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Hood Responds to Hayne Criticism
Gov. Haley Barbour signed H.B. 1456 into law March 19, requiring that pathologists doing autopsies in Mississippi--in addition to the state medical examiner--hold American Board of Pathology certification. Such certification …
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Barbour Calls Himself a ‘Fat Redneck'
In an interview yesterday on CNN's "John King USA," Gov. Haley Barbour refused to criticize Republic National Chairman Michael Steele and characterized himself as a "fat redneck."
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Eminent Domain Petition Circulating
After Gov. Haley Barbour vetoed a bill last year to limit the state's use of eminent domain, the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation is circulating a petition to put the issue …
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Johnson To Appoint New School Board Members
Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. is expected to appoint two new members to the Jackson Public School Board of Trustees at Tomorrow's city council meeting. The April 6 council agenda …
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Community Events and Public Meetings
Mustard Seed Book Drive at Borders (100 Dogwood Blvd., Flowood). Donate books in good condition to the residents of The Mustard Seed. Donations welcome; call 601-992-3556.
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NAACP President: Segregation Still a Problem
One example of how state and local government continues to attack public education in Mississippi is a bill that would allow charter schools, said NAACP President Derrick Johnson during a …
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Barbour Signs Tougher Stalking Law
Also: Listen to Rep. Brandon Jones and Sen. David Blount talk about the stalking bill on JFP Radio.
