All results / Stories / Arielle Dreher
Foster Care Legislation: ‘The Beginning to an End of Madness’
The state's foster-care system, now housed under MDHS as the Division of Family and Children's Services, must comply with a court order in the Olivia Y lawsuit to avoid federal …
Advocates, Lumumba Call For 'No State Takeover' as State Decisions Looms
This week, the Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation will decide whether or not Jackson Public Schools is in a state of emergency.
State's High Court May Change Criminal Procedures, Getting Public Comment
After 11 years of review, the Mississippi Supreme Court is seeking public comment on its proposed new rules for criminal-law procedures. The rules reflect changes in several parts of the …
Jackson Airport Lawsuit Weakened, But Still On
The legal fight over who controls the Jackson airport continues outside the courtroom for now after U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves dismissed three of the city of Jackson's initial claims …
Repealing Tax Cut Will Yield $6 Billion for Infrastructure, Senate Dems Say
Repealing the "Taxpayer Pay Raise Act of 2016" is the first step to funding the state's infrastructure needs, our Mississippi state senators, all Democrats, say.
UPDATED: Senate Takes Up New Ed Funding Formula Proposal Today
The push to re-write the State's education-funding formula, the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, is in the Senate waiting on a full vote.
What’s Ahead for the Capitol Complex?
Jackson stands to gain additional tax revenue for infrastructure projects located inside the Capitol Complex Improvement District but likely not until next year, even as it will bring immediate changes …
Crises in the Capitol: Infrastructure, Crime Lab, Not Enough Money to Cover Needs
It's hard to prosecute someone for a violent crime if you do not know how the victim died. The Mississippi Legislature is grappling over that question in the new session; …
Sabotage, Death, Danger: Private Prison on Trial
The Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Prison Project of the ACLU and two other law firms brought a class-action lawsuit against the Mississippi Department of Corrections back in 2013 …
Tort Reform, Sexual Assault Prevention and Fantasy Sports Bills Move Forward
"Tort reform" rose from the past at the state Capitol last week as lawyers in the House of Representatives battled it out over a short, seemingly inconsequential bill, House Bill …
Funding the ‘School Choice’ Lobby
In just one year, the Mississippi Legislature has gone from slightly tweaking its voucher program for students with dyslexia to a push to allow any public-school student to apply for …
House Again Tries to Curb Dem Attorney General's Powers
The Mississippi attorney general, who is elected, could be subject to oversight from the governor, lieutenant governor and the secretary of state if Rep. Mark Baker, R-Brandon, gets his way.
Judge: Charter School Funding Constitutional
Mississippi's charter-school law does not violate the state's Constitution, Hinds County Chancery Court Judge Dewayne Thomas ruled almost a year after getting the case.
Protecting Children: New Leader, New Challenges
Almost 6,000 children are in the state's custody, and some of them are backlogged in the system, newly appointed commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services Jess Dickinson …
Teacher Incentives, Fewer Rules for 'Good' School Districts Pass the House
School districts with an "A" or "B" accountability ranking would be exempt from certain reporting requirements if House Bill 1224 becomes law.
2019 State Races Shaping Up; Hood Has Edge Over Reeves for Governor
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Attorney General Jim Hood are the obvious candidates expected to face off in the 2019 gubernatorial election if both make it past the party primaries, …
Transportation Head Calls Out Legislature for Not Funding Roads, Bridges
Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall did not mince words at the Stennis Capitol Press Forum Monday, calling out Mississippi lawmakers' inaction on funding the state's infrastructure.
Report: Mississippi's Black Children Face More Barriers Than White Kids
Mississippi is one of the worst states for black children, despite having the highest population of them in the country. Black children in Mississippi face health, educational and poverty-related barriers …
Mississippi's Children Make Gains But Still Land in Last Place
Child well-being in Mississippi is improving, but largely due to poverty, the state finished 50th in the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2016 Kids Count data.
Jackson State Faces 'Belt-Tightening' Year
Jackson State University's 11th president, Dr. William Bynum Jr., took the reins this month and told reporters this morning that the university is facing a few years of belt-tightening in …