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Campaign Finance, BP Money Bills Await Legislators
Thanks to BP, Mississippi has additional income to spend in the 2017 legislative session. The state received its first payment from BP from the 2010 oil-spill settlement last summer.
Legislature Cutting Millions of Dollars from Human Services, Mental Health and Rehab Services
The Mississippi Legislature is cutting millions of dollars from state health-care services, and Democrats are not happy about it, especially with lawsuits looming.
Special Session to Fund Roads, Bridges May Depend on U.S. Supreme Court
Gov. Phil Bryant alluded to the possibility of a special session for infrastructure funding, if the U.S. Supreme Court allows states to start collecting use tax from online retailers.
Mississippi's Child Human Trafficking Laws Receive "B" Grade
A Shared Hope International study of states' child human-trafficking laws gives Mississippi a "B" grade for its state laws.
Threatened Budget Cuts Could Hurt State
Higher education, mental health and human services would suffer large reductions in staff and funding with the 7.8 percent cut Mississippi state agencies are proposing should voters choose to force …
Debate Rages Over Causes of Abortion Declines
Abortion numbers could be down for multiple reasons, including higher distribution of contraceptives and the lowering of teen-pregnancy rates in states like in Colorado.
'Back the Badge' Bill Heads to Governor's Desk
Police officers will become a protected class for hate crimes against them if Gov. Phil Bryant signs the "Back the Badge Act of 2017," which is headed to Gov. Phil …
Abortion Down in U.S., Mississippi, But Why?
The abortion rate in Mississippi and across the U.S. is down, a new AP report released today shows. The question of why, however, is subject to wide and fierce debate.
Secretary of State Launches Voter Registration Status Tool
Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann launched a new part of the Y'all Vote website on Wednesday, Sept. 6, that allows Mississippians to easily see if they are registered to vote—and …
As Money Flows to Hopefuls, Hattiesburg Votes to Elect New Legislator
Hattiesburg residents have their choice of four candidates in the special election for House District 102, which they vote in today, to replace former Rep. Toby Barker's seat in the …
Mississippi Must Help Neediest Families Now, Advocates Demand
The neediest families families in Mississippi must have access to assistance when they need it, a group of community advocates, nonprofit organizations and lawmakers gathered at the Capitol Thursday argued.
State Revenues 'Have Disappointed,' Trump Effect on Mississippi Uncertain
The U.S. economy may be growing, but Mississippi's revenue is lagging, and the state faces uncertainty over the effect of the Trump administration's policies, especially on trade.
Budget Cuts or Scare Tactics?
Representatives for state workers are decrying proposed budget cuts to state agencies that House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Herb Frierson, R-Poplarville, asked for last week.
Child Protection, Pro-Women Bills Pass Senate; House Roiled in Race Tension
Human trafficking, domestic-abuse and breastfeeding bills easily passed through the Mississippi Senate last week.
‘Everybody Matters, Or Nobody Matters’: The JFP Interview with Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher
Department of Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher shared his opinions and ideas about how law enforcement fits into society and government as a whole with the Jackson Free Press recently.
Ed Department Awards 90 Vouchers in a Lottery After Some Went Unused
The Mississippi Department of Education held a lottery for 90 unused vouchers in the current school year as the Legislature could debate this afternoon whether to expand the program beyond …
Abortion in Mississippi: ‘The Fight’s Not Over’
Derenda Hancock and two other Pink House Defenders were sitting anxiously outside the Jackson Women's Health Organization with donuts and coffee the morning of June 27, all checking their phones …
UPDATED: Lumumba, City Council Quietly Raise Property Taxes to Fill Budget Holes
Late last week, the Jackson City Council approved a 2-millage tax increase in a close 3-2 vote, with two city council members not attending the last-minute Friday-evening meeting.
Cruel & Unusual? The Death Penalty’s Trials in Mississippi
The State of Mississippi is litigating legal challenges to the state's lethal-injection law directly. Mississippi last executed a prisoner in June 2012, Mississippi Department of Corrections records posted online show.
Down to the Wire: The Final Push to Pass Initiative 42
Less than a week until the Nov. 3 election, Initiative 42 proponents are making their final push to inform voters about the citizen-driven ballot initiative.