Jackson Free Press

Capitol Burning: The War Between the Branches

Mississippi is known for many things: great authors, beautiful antebellum plantations, Sweet Potato Queens, civil rights troubles and a ridiculously tight state budget. In the poorest state in the country, …

2008 Legislative Preview: New Session, Old Problems

Photos by Adam Lynch, Donna Ladd, and Jaro Vacek

The Mississippi legislative session is coming around again Jan. 8, bringing with it some tough decisions. The Legislature took a stroll through roses last year, oddly, thanks to Hurricane Katrina. …

This Here Alternative Universe

I'm sitting here, OK lying here, in a humongous, brick-colored sofa far away from Jackson in the Pacific Northwest, counting my blessings about life in Mississippi. I didn't start out …

‘Sunshine Law' Pushes Costs Up

By the time the legislative session ended in early May, lawmakers had passed two controversial bills that are likely to result in expensive legal battles. One requires doctors performing abortions …

At Capitol, Jackson a Winner and Loser

You know that old expression about the calm before the storm? Such has been the mood at the state Capitol for the past couple weeks. The relatively tranquil period follows …

JRA Offers Civil-Rights Museum Site; Approves Capitol Green

CORRECTION: Jackson Free Press reporter Adam Lynch wrongfully stated that the Jackson Redevelopment Authority is offering a potential site for the future Mississippi Civil Rights Museum to the Department of …

Who's Fooling Whom?

No one likes to be fooled.

State Segregating Mentally Ill

One night last fall, Watson Dollar became angry when his mother would not let him drink from her water bottle. At the time, Pam Dollar was fighting a cold and …

Wedge Issues Bring Heated Debates

Democrats turned up the heat in debates over abortion, immigration and voter rights last week. Up against deadlines to get bills out of committee and through floor votes, the Mississippi …

On the Primary Ballots

Born in Hawaii, Barack Obama attended Columbia University and Harvard Law School and worked as community organizer, constitutional lawyer and professor. He served three terms in the Illinois Senate and …

City Begins Clean Up

Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. urged residents to drive with caution and stay clear of debris resulting from tornadoes during a press conference today at the Hinds County Emergency Operations …

GOP May Oppose Court-ordered Maps

The Mississippi Republican Party likely will contest a three-judge panel's decision to impose the Mississippi House of Representatives' redistricting map as the official House election map for 2011.

Mississippi Takes Sex Ed

Monica Cannon, who has a daughter in a Jackson high school, is part of a teen-pregnancy prevention coalition in the Jackson area. During a Jackson Public Schools board meeting Aug. …

Luckett, DuPree Push Education, Business Help

Mississippi's two leading Democratic gubernatorial candidates found much to agree on yesterday during their first one-on-one debate. Clarksdale attorney and businessman Bill Luckett and Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree both touted …

Naked Party Animals Be Damned

"We all evolve." That's what Marcy Nessel told Maggie Neff about the Jewish Film Festival in this issue.

Protect Private Property

During trips to my mother's hometown of Oxford, it was customary for her to point out the areas of land, now heavily developed, that blacks owned when she was growing …

[Dickerson] Charlie Hosemann Gets My Vote

My family has never flirted with the GOP, primarily because we view Republicans as rabble-rousing upstarts who stand in opposition to the unimpeachable liberalism of Jefferson and Madison.

Loosening the Beer Bottleneck

Kevin Slark is a beer connoisseur. He can tell the difference between a Belgian Abbey-style Leffe and a German Helle Weissebier. He is also, if not a criminal, someone who …

Week 5: ID, Justice, Budgets

Republican Win On Voter ID Senate Republicans succeeded in extending and tightening voter ID requirements for all Mississippians in a bill passed Feb. 4. Senate Bill 2548 originally passed Jan. …

[Archive] Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner

Since the JFP launched in October 2002, the following pieces have discussed, in one way or another, the murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner and the effect …