Jackson Free Press

[City Buzz] A Time to Speak

A TIME TO SPEAK: Due to it being the 40th anniversary of Freedom Summer, 2004 seems to be the year of activism in the state of Mississippi. In fact, at …

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 …

Testimony of Gov. Haley Barbour about Katrina - March 7

Testimony of Governor Haley Barbour to U. S. Senate Committee on Appropriations

Thank you for this opportunity to join you today to discuss the worst natural disaster in our nation's history, Hurricane Katrina. First, we in Mississippi greatly need and genuinely appreciate …

12 Local Stories of the Week

There are no slow news weeks in Jackson, especially at the Jackson Free Press. Here are 12 vital stories from the last week.

The Food Stamp Diet

For Hunger Awareness Week in Oregon, Gov. Ted Kulongowski will spend the week seeing what it is like to live off the food budget of a food stamp recipient to …

Jackson Singled Out for Bond ‘Lobbying'

The Mississippi Legislature singled out Jackson as the only municipality that needed to submit an application to and lobby the state Bond Commission in order to receive a loan that …

Barbour Faces Budget Opposition

... especially on education cuts. The Clarion-Ledger reports today: On Tuesday, dozens of lawmakers — mostly GOP allies — gathered with Barbour to pledge support for the changes. "I'm willing …

Animal House Politics

Good Lord: Do we have a bunch of children running these campaigns? The state Republican Party has launched this silly anti-Musgrove Web site, registered to the state College Republicans at …

Does GOP STILL Want to Cut Taxes, Services for Poor?

New York Times editorial today:

Eaves' Health-Care Plan Touches Nerve

Photos by Kate Medley, Roy Adkins, & Adam Lynch

Brookhaven resident Washuma Murphy faces more than $3,500 in medical bills every year, without the benefit of medical insurance. Doctors diagnosed her 12-year-old son, Devon Murphy, with Sturge-Weber Syndrome at …

John Arthur Eaves' Speech at the Neshoba County Fair

[verbatim] I'm John Eaves, and I am running for Governor because I believe it is time for a new day in Mississippi. I am tired of hearing our leaders tell …

[Barbour] Leaving No PLAD Behind

Mississippi Medicaid was bleeding badly—doubling in cost over five years—and changes had to be made. Our dilemma was this: How to keep the Medicaid program sustainable while making sure everyone …

[Head] And the Good News Is…

The 2011 legislative session begins Jan. 4, and it's likely to be exceptionally loud, complicated and messy. Mississippi faces an unusual alignment of unfavorable omens: a budget crisis, a national …

Beating the Same Drums

The first week of the legislative session, which started Jan. 4, brought the beginning of bill submissions seeking to beat the Legislature's Jan. 17 deadline for general bills and constitutional …

Legislators Promise to Keep ‘13th Check'

This morning, legislators tried to calm fears about upcoming recommendations from the Public Employees' Retirement System Study Commission, saying they would not be in favor of ending the "13th check," …

DuPree Aims to Win

Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree proved that grass-roots organizing matters more than cash when it comes to winning the Democratic Party nomination for governor. Now, many voters are wondering about the …

Recycling Crime

U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate has put the clamps on an effort to change a new state law regulating the metal-recycling industry. The law specifically demands scrap buyers keep all …

Nissan to Expand Canton Plant

Despite declining auto sales worldwide, Nissan announced plans today to expand its Canton, Miss. plant to produce a new commercial vehicle, according to a release:

Legislative Update: Medicaid and Marriage

This week marked either the victory cheer or the death knell for a round of money bills seeking approval. Tuesday, specifically, marked the deadline for the House or Senate to …

[Beety] The Cost of Death

On July 21, the state of Mississippi is scheduled to put Joseph Daniel Burns Mississippian, murderer and father of three—to death. Our state has executed only 10 men over the …