Jackson Free Press

Waller Leads Supreme Court race as Randolph, Coleman Win

Newcomer Josiah Coleman cruised to a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court, while Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. held a solid lead over state Rep. Earle Banks, a Jackson Democrat …

Barbour Redirecting Katrina Funds to the Wealthy?

Salon is reporting that Gov. Haley Barbour has gotten HUD waivers that have redirected 80 percent of federal block grants awarded to help Mississippi's low- and moderate-income residents recover from …

Bob Herbert Blasts Barbour Again, Does Right by JFP Again

I was so busy Friday and through the weekend, tweeting about the storm and drinking champagne (not at the same time), that I didn't notice until today that New York …

Barbour Pardons Two More Woman Killers

Gov. Haley Barbour's going-away present for Mississippi is to put a trio of convicted murderers back out on our streets, including two more who brutally murdered the women in their …

Some Thoughts on the 2007 Elections

With the March 1st filing deadline fast approaching, I don't see any evidence that any well-known Democrat has emerged to make a viable challenge to Haley Barbour. A channel surf …

The Most Vital Word in Eco-Development

If Jackson develops a strong medical technology cluster, we might see a number of different places that could both attract talent and where talent could land when things need to …

Republic Group Booked New Yarber Response Ads, Targets 'Historically Hostile' Districts

A "pro-business" politics firm has confirmed that it has placed all of Tony Yarber's TV ads this election cycle, including a number of ads tonight to respond to negative advertising …

• 1 comment

A Recovery For The Rich?

Thanks to Gov. Haley Barbour, federal Hurricane Katrina recovery money is benefiting the rich on the Mississippi Gulf Coast more than the poor, advocates for low- and moderate-income housing say. …

House Votes to Expand Unemployment Benefits

More Mississippians could qualify for unemployment insurance under a bill the Mississippi House of Representatives passed Saturday. The Senate adjourned hours before the vote, meaning the Legislature will not bring …

[Ladd] Haley's March to the Sea

On the JFP blog recently, someone asked me if I was willing to give Gov. Haley Barbour the benefit of the doubt. That question gave me pause. I think of …

Minority Contractors Win Arbitration Award

[verbatim] An American Arbitration Association panel awarded minority contractor Fish & Fisher $1,283,351 in a dispute with white owned L & T Construction. The dispute arose over work performed by …

Calm the 'Runaway' Rhetoric; Do the Homework

As we go to press, it seems likely that Gov. Haley Barbour will call a special session this year to try and push through more "tort reform" measures after failing …

Hosemann, Commit to Fair Elections

In recent years, the role of the secretary of state was handled in a fair-handed and relatively apolitical way by Eric Clark, a conservative Democrat who seemed to focus on …

Stop Creating More Shortfalls

If State Auditor Stacey Pickering gets his way, the state could end up paying an extra $3 million for a bill that has already been paid.

Redistricting: Get Moving

The Mississippi House of Representatives did the right thing this week by stapling its Senate-rejected redistricting plan onto the Senate's own redistricting map. Both chambers must approve each other's redistricting …

Enviros Challenge MDA on Drilling

Environmental groups want more time to study the effects of opening the Mississippi Sound to oil and gas drilling.

NAACP Joins Redistricting Fray

The Mississippi NAACP today asked a federal court to stop state legislators from running in their current districts in August because they are not representative of black voters.

Senate Flubs Redistricting

The Mississippi Senate voted to end the session yesterday without taking up a new redistricted map.

Mary Libby Payne

Justice Mary Libby Payne, 79, of Pearl is one of 11 recipients of the Mississippi Medal of Service for significant contributions to the state.

Make Consolidation Study Transparent

Since a flare-up of attention last winter, the issue of school district consolidation has received only limited public attention. This is unfortunate, as a governor-appointed panel is set to issue …