Jackson Free Press

Party People! Debate!

This is why I enjoy the circus. This is why I enjoy large crowds mingling with one another.

Yesterday, droves of party-people strolled along the Capitol lawn holding poster boards with messages- presumably drawn by their preschool-aged children- voicing their opinions about the horrors of taxation. Sweet tea …

Barbour Signs Bill to Fund Cybercrime Unit

Yesterday, Gov. Haley Barbour signed Senate Bill 2978 into law. Mississippi's Attorney General Jim Hood advocated for the bill, which adds $1 to the fines for some misdemeanors and felonies. …

Contractor Sues Toyota, Barbour

A Jackson-based contractor is suing Gov. Haley Barbour, the Mississippi Development Authority and Toyota for denying it the opportunity to bid on a lucrative contract for the $1.2 billion Toyota …

Mississippi Passes Tough Price Gouging Law

In the wake of last year's skyrocketing prices at the pumps, Gov. Haley Barbour has signed a bill stiffening penalties for gasoline price gouging. The bill, SB 2032, increases jail …

Texting Ban Affects Only Teens

A new bill signed into law by Gov. Haley Barbour last week mandates that teens under 18 with an intermediate license or learner's permit cannot text friends and family while …

Barbour Signs Children First Act

Yesterday, Gov. Haley Barbour put his signature on Senate Bill 2628, also known as the Children First Act of 2009.

The 2009 JFP Interview with Jabari Toins

Native son Jabari Toins says previous mayors have turned Jackson upside down, pushing him to run for the job.

Tax-Free Weekend Bill Signed

Last week, Gov. Haley Barbour signed a bill into law that will save Mississippians shopping for school clothing and shoes the 7 percent sales tax during the last weekend in …

File under 'WTF'

Federally run "big gorilla" mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will pay out $210 million in retention bonuses over the next 18 months, reports Times Online. Between them, the …

Barbour Schedules Stimulus Meeting

[verbatim] Governor Haley Barbour is bringing together state agency heads, legislators and local government officials as well as inviting the public to participate in a Mississippi Stimulus Summit on April …

BREAKING: Mississippi Minority Contractors Sue Toyota

[Verbatim statement tonight:] Jackson, MS (March 31, 2009). Jackie Williams and Renna Fisher, African American principals of Fish & Fisher, a ten-year old construction company, have filed a civil racial …

McMillin Says Resignation Was Political

Despite contradicting claims from Mayor Frank Melton, former Jackson Police Chief Malcolm McMillin said he resigned his position today for purely political reasons rather than tension between Melton and himself. …

Protect Private Property

During trips to my mother's hometown of Oxford, it was customary for her to point out the areas of land, now heavily developed, that blacks owned when she was growing …

Week 13: Zombies, Exonerees

The Zombie Tax A bill increasing the cigarette tax rose from the dead Monday, as legislators in both the Mississippi House and Senate voted to suspend the deadline for a …

Regular Legislative Session Ends with Unresolved Issues

The Mississippi Legislature's 2009 session ended temporarily today. With the 2010 budget yet to be resolved, lawmakers are planning a second session beginning in May or June.

The 2009 JFP Interview with Frank Melton, Part V: To the DEA?

In this long excerpt of JFP editor Donna Ladd's interview with Frank Melton in February, he talks about why he's running for re-election, dying with dignity, the City Council, his …

No Agreement on Funding Medicaid

Lawmakers were unable to agree yesterday on a bill proposing a tax on hospital beds to help fund Medicaid, reports WXVT15, missing their Monday night deadline.

Bill Funds Cybercrime Unit

Yesterday, legislators sent Senate Bill 2978 to Gov. Haley Barbour for his signature, which will increase by $1 fines for certain misdemeanors and felonies by $1 to help fund the …

Legislators Will Reconvene After Break

Mississippi's state constitution calls for an annual legislative session of 90 days. For 2009, 90 days after the Jan. 6 session start is Sunday, April 5. If by some miracle, …

You Can Help Revive the Cigarette Tax

Communities for a Clean Bill of Health says that Mississippians can be instrumental in reviving the cigarette tax increase for this session.