Jackson Free Press

2011: Community

<b>Best Public Figure: 
Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.</b>

Jackson's first African American mayor has been through it. Since he was first elected to the seat in 1997, he has weathered belittlement, racism, jealousy, direct attacks, vicious media coverage, …

Jamie Scott Hospitalized

Less than three weeks after her release from prison, Jamie Scott has been hospitalized. Activist Nancy Lockhart, who worked for more than five years to free Jamie and her sister, …

Lunacy: Tea Party Wants to Scrub Slavery History from Textbooks

It was bad enough when Gov. Haley Barbour tried to pretend the Citizens Council were the good guys. It's bad enough when people go around saying that the Civil War …

Bill Proposes to End MPB Funding

Mississippi Public Broadcasting Acting Executive Director Jay Woods said a proposed bill that would eventually end state funding for his agency due, in part, to its supposed "liberal" bias would …

State of the State: A Fact-Check

Gov. Haley Barbour used his final State of the State address, on Jan. 11, to tout his resume of accomplishments over two terms. Ever the savvy political communicator, the governor …

History's Return

Gov. Haley Barbour is a sucker for anniversaries, apparently. In his final State of the State address last week, the governor said that 2011—the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides …

Reading the Tea Leaves: The Tea Party in Mississippi

Tea Party member Donald Wiggans was different. A small, wiry man, he stood quietly during an August 2009 town-hall meeting on health-care reform featuring U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson.

[Balko] The Year in Clemency

It was a strange year for clemency, the often misunderstood and generally misused power that allows the president and governors to grant pardons (which overturn convictions) and commutations (which reduce …

Civil Rights Museum Stirs Controversy, Again

State lawmakers will have a chance to act on Gov. Haley Barbour's recent call to move a proposed state civil-rights museum to downtown Jackson. Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, told the …

Opponents Vow to Fight Anti-Immigrant Bill

Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance Executive Director Bill Chandler said a Senate Committee's approval of an anti-immigrant bill yesterday will "put a target" on all Latinos in Mississippi, regardless of their …

Senate Committee Passes Anti-Immigrant Bill

This afternoon, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 2179, which is similar to a controversial Arizona law that forces local and state law enforcement to ask for proof of …

House Approves Eminent Domain Limits

The Mississippi House of Representatives passed a bill yesterday restricting the use of eminent domain. The measure is similar to a voter initiative scheduled for the 2011 ballot and a …

Political Tweets

A good way to get information about what is going on at the state Legislature is to follow lawmakers who are using social media to reach their constituents and sending …

Beating the Same Drums

The first week of the legislative session, which started Jan. 4, brought the beginning of bill submissions seeking to beat the Legislature's Jan. 17 deadline for general bills and constitutional …

Barbour Cheers Economy, Chides Obama

In his final State of the State address yesterday, Gov. Haley Barbour offered optimism about Mississippi's economic recovery, as well as criticism of President Barack Obama and the federal government. …

Governor Haley Barbour's State of State Address

Thank you Speaker McCoy and Governor Bryant, and thanks to you in the Legislature for your warm welcome.

Barbour to Give State of the State Address Tonight

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour will give an overview of his legislative priorities and accomplishments during his State of the State address tonight.

‘It's Like A Dream': Scott Sisters Celebrate Freedom

Also see: Let My Daughters Go

Scott Sisters To Be Released Today

Also see: Let My Daughters Go

The Hard Stuff

Evelyn Rasco believed in the power of story when no one else did. After her daughters, Jamie and Gladys Scott, went to prison for life for a 1993 robbery with …