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House Bill 1523 Becomes Law after 5th Circuit Overturns Injunction
The controversial "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Religious Discrimination Act" is now state law, after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the 2016 injunction that prevented House Bill …
UPDATED: JPS Board Forced to Halt Work After Fourth Member Leaves Board
The Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees needs new members, and quickly. Richard Lind, the newly elected president of the school board, resigned yesterday, meaning only three members remain.
'Unborn Child Protection' Bill Passes Mississippi House, 'Dangerous Precedent'?
The "Mississippi Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act" passed the Mississippi House of Representatives last week, meaning that legislators are back in the business of pushing anti-abortion legislation.
Secret Execution Team, Firing Squads, Restricted Media Included in House Bill
Death by firing squad could become an option for administering the death penalty if Senate Bill 2237, which passed by the Mississippi House of Representatives on Friday and held on …
A Rework for ‘Restraint and Seclusion’
While most organizations fully support the creation and implementation of a restraint and seclusion policy, many are not satisfied with the policy as it is written now.
Moving Beyond Suspension: Changing the Discipline Climate in Jackson Schools
JPS administrators recognize that out-of-school suspension is not the way to change school climates district-wide, and Margrit Wallace, the JPS chief academic officer in the student academic and behavioral support …
Sheriffs Decry Cutbacks, Private Prison Contracts
Mississippi sheriffs packed into Room 113 at the Capitol Monday to express frustrations after the Mississippi Department of Corrections announced a reduction in inmates housed at the 15 regional facilities …
Slain Teen's Mother Sues Business Owner Charged with His Murder
Yvette Mason-Sherman filed a civil lawsuit against Wayne Parish, the man indicted in the killing of her 17-year-old son, Charles McDonald Jr., at Performance Oil Equipment in Jackson last fall, …
Preppin’ for November: ‘Y’all Vote’
With the presidential election drawing near, Mississippians who are registered to vote can change their addresses up until the day before the election due to new rules the Mississippi Legislature …
Replacing Military-Style Detention
Mississippians who receive earned probation for crimes that do not carry a death sentence or involve deadly weapons will now have access to high-school equivalency education, alcohol and drug counseling, …
Lawmakers Address Blight, Praise God
The capital city's blight, mainly visible in hundreds of abandoned properties, was a priority for concerned citizens who met with the Hinds County delegation to plan legislation that will address …
State Eyes Changes to Guardianship Laws
Desiree Henley knew Mississippi's guardianship and conservatorship laws were outdated, ineffective and likely stripping elderly and disabled citizens of their basic human rights.
Politicians for Sale? Mississippi Economic Council Knows How to Throw a Party
Funding for the state's crumbling infrastructure didn't exactly top priorities for legislators on their first round of revenue bill deadlines, and Senate Bill 2921 made it over to the House …
Green: Farming an Economic Future
Raised on a farm and the daughter of a sharecropper, Addie Lee Green remembers learning how to chop down trees for firewood as a child. Now she is running to …
Mississippi Outs Legal Immigrants on Drivers' Licenses
Abigail Pina Mandujano had to start carrying her visa with her when she drives because her license is not enough to fend off questions from law-enforcement officials at roadblocks, she …
UPDATED: Foster-Care System Avoids Receivership ... For Now
The state's foster-care system has avoided federal receivership—for now. On Friday, May 13, Gov. Phil Bryant signed a law to officially separate the state's foster-care system from the Mississippi Department …
Mental Illness: Behind Bars and Beyond
Locking up people suffering from mental illnesses is an endless, fruitless cycle—unless a person can access the services and (in some cases) treatment needed to live their lives in the …
Mary Coleman: Bringing ‘New Energy’ to MDOT
Coleman's primary election went to a run-off that she won by a large margin to Robert Amos. She now faces Dick Hall, the incumbent who has served in that role …
Inside the Closed Mental Health Meetings
While Attorney General Jim Hood has not yet opened mental-health task force meetings to public and media scrutiny, members of the group are talking about how they are trying to …
Cops Learn to Help Mentally Ill Mississippians
The celebration was small, but the impact is likely to be large. On Friday, Jan. 26, nine local law enforcement officers who work in Hinds County graduated from week-long mental-health …