Education
Survey: Attorney General, Governor Boast Highest Approval Ratings
Attorney General Jim Hood and Gov. Phil Bryant have the highest approval ratings of a selection of Mississippi political leaders, a Millsaps College and Chism Strategies survey released earlier this …
Education
Statewide Student Testing Task Force To Meet This Summer
Mississippi Superintendent Carey Wright announced a task force this week to study how individual school district and the Department of Education in the state are testing students.
Health Care
Governor Vetoes Opioid, Crime Reforms After Signing Reentry Law
Gov. Phil Bryant has blocked an effort to help wean those addicted to opioids off the drugs with medication, as well as assisted indigent prisoners.
Development
Roadblocks for Road Plans?
The Republican supermajority in the Mississippi Legislature has ignored the state chamber of commerce's calls to increase state funding for roads and bridges for three legislative sessions in a row.
City & County
JPS Set to Start Clearing Standards in Corrective Action Plan
The Jackson Public School District has a new 400-page corrective action plan to begin work on, and it is already asking the Mississippi Department of Education to approve its efforts …
Politics
As 83 Bridges Close, Speaker Gunn Unveils Revamped Funding Proposal
As the Mississippi Department of Transportation begins to close the 83 bridges Gov. Phil Bryant ordered closed on Tuesday, House Speaker Philip Gunn announced a nearly 60-page proposal to divert …
Civil Rights
Disenfranchised for Life? No Changes, Yet
Stanley Barnes of Claiborne County was convicted of murder in 1990 and received a life sentence, but was paroled in 2000. He is still on unsupervised parole. Sen. Albert Butler, …
Politics
State to Reauthorize, Monitor Visitors Bureau
Pending Gov. Phil Bryant's signature, the State of Mississippi is reauthorizing the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau for another year, but with added strings attached.
City & County
JPS: School Bond Issue to Go Before Jackson Voters this Summer
District leaders and school board members are preparing to bring a bond issue to Jackson voters, likely in June, to keep Jackson Public Schools' current millage rate—and tax rate for …
Civil Rights
'Yes, Dr. King, How Can I Help You?': Black Rights Leaders Recall MLK
Flonzie Brown-Wright, Charles McLaurin and James Meredith spoke at the 2 Mississippi Museums on Wednesday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of King's death and reflect on how his work affected …
Politics
Women, Whiskey, Watchdogs (and Dead Bills) at Session's End
Late in the 2018 legislative session, Rep. Jeff Smith, R-Columbus, talked about a night that his son broke curfew. His boy had spent his father's money on "whiskey, women and …
Immigration
Mississippi Outs Legal Immigrants on Drivers' Licenses
Abigail Pina Mandujano had to start carrying her visa with her when she drives because her license is not enough to fend off questions from law-enforcement officials at roadblocks, she …
City & County
Public Will Have Input on JPS Superintendent Search, Board Says
The Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees wants the community's input as they work to hire a new superintendent this spring.
Education
Report: Low-performing Districts Test Students More in State
Mississippi students spend less than 1 percent of a school year on state testing, a new Mississippi First study shows.
Politics
Dead or Alive: What Bills Survived, Or Didn't, in the 2018 Legislative Session
While the budget is intact, many other Republican priorities and proposals died this session. Here is a short list of what survived and what did not.
Education
$6 Billion Budget, But No Roads, Bridges Funds
State revenues are higher than expected, and lawmakers set aside about $112 million, or 2 percent, of the state budget for its rainy day fund, as they worked several late …
Civil Rights
Mississippians Sue to Get Voting Rights Restored After Serving Time
Wayne Kuhn completed his sentence for a grand larceny charge in the 1980s more than 25 years ago. He even got his record expunged—and yet he still cannot vote in …
Politics
Medicaid Funding in Flux as Lawmakers Work on $6 Billion Budget
Over the weekend, lawmakers worked to pass a roughly $6-billion budget to fund state agencies beginning in July. They have until Monday night to complete passing the state budget, with …
State
‘All That Is Dead’: Roads and Bridges Funding Dies at Legislature
Efforts to provide additional funding for roads and bridges are dead in the 2018 legislative session after Senate and House leaders could not come to an agreement on exactly how …
Education
Alcorn State President Named New IHL Commissioner
The Institutions of Higher Learning board named Alfred Rankins Jr. the new commissioner of higher education for Mississippi on Friday, March 23.
Politics
Governor Defends Choice of Cindy Hyde-Smith to U.S. Senate Seat
Gov. Phil Bryant made history on Wednesday, March 21, when he named Cindy Hyde-Smith to take Sen. Thad Cochran's seat, which he will vacate on April 1. Mississippi has never …
Politics
Lawmakers Turn to Budgets; Re-Entry Reforms on Governor’s Desk
It's crunch time at the Mississippi Capitol. This week lawmakers will have to finalize the state budget, predominantly behind closed doors, before passing a slim fiscal-year 2019 budget.
Politics
UPDATED: ‘Galactic Trouble’ for Foster Care Ahead?
Jess Dickinson likes to use an ancient maxim he heard in a film, "The Bourne Ultimatum," to illustrate where he sits currently as the commissioner of Mississippi's foster-care system. "Hope …
Health Care
Judge Blocks Newly Signed 15-Week Abortion Ban for 10 Days
It took less than 24 hours for Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban to become law and then be stopped from taking effect.
City & County
'One Lake' Project Could Go to Public for Comment Next Month
Engineers are pumping water at both Pearl River stations after a weekend of storms. The river reached a crest of 21 feet this weekend but is projected to drop down …
Civil Rights
Indigent Defendants Denied Counsel, Speedy Trials in 10 Counties
Mississippians accused of felonies who cannot afford their own representation have the right to counsel and a speedy trial under the 6th Amendment, but a new report found that access …
Civil Rights
Black, Male, Arrested: Madison County Case May Go Class Action
Attorneys argue that Madison County's policing program violates black residents' rights outlined in the Fourth Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil …
Justice
Criminal Justice Reform Law Headed to Governor's Desk
If Gov. Phil Bryant signs House Bill 387 into law, Mississippians will not automatically go to prison or jail if they do not pay fines or court fees.
Personhood
Reversing 'Roe'; Outside Group Uses Mississippi as 'Bait' to End Abortion
The State of Mississippi's Republican legislative leadership may have just decided to end all abortions after 15 weeks, but they used a template developed outside the state. The legislation is …
Crime
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 …
Crime
Not 'Soft on Crime': Clergy Want Prison Reforms to Become Law
The Mississippi Legislature could approve two re-entry and criminal-justice reform measures this session, which are still alive.
City & County
JPS Closing Four Elementary Schools Due to Funding, Costly Repairs
Four elementary schools will close at the end of this school year in Jackson Public Schools.
Education
Senate's 'School Safety Act' Tightens Teacher Gun Training, Carry Laws
Schools, colleges and universities around Mississippi could create school-safety programs, designating certain licensed firearm owners who complete approved training courses to carry a concealed gun for the explicit purpose of …
Cover
Mutiny at the Senate: Bi-partisan Death of New Ed Formula
Twenty-six senators joined Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, to kill the Republican-driven proposal to scrap MAEP, which would have replaced it with a weights-based student funding formula, which EdBuild developed and …
City & County
Jacksonians Value JPS and Teachers, Poll Finds
The local community supports both Jackson Public Schools and the teachers in a stronger way than in many communities, a poll of 500 local residents in January found.
Civil Rights
Private Prison Trial Starts Today Over Alleged Squalor, Rats, Deaths
Inmates housed at the East Mississippi Correctional Facility alleged squalor conditions, solitary confinement practices, lack of medical and mental health care, and an overall unsafe environment. Five years later, the …
Education
Bipartisan Vote Kills New Education Funding Formula Proposal
Sen. Gray Tollison, R-Oxford, thought he had the votes to pass the Republican proposal to replace the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, when he stepped up to the speaker well in …
Education
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.
Civil Rights
The Racist Roots of Disenfranchising Voters
Mississippi is one of 12 states with disenfranchisement laws that can affect people for life. The list of 22 disenfranchising crimes means an estimated 218,181 people in the state are …
City & County
JPS Board Pushes Supe Search Forward
Jackson Public Schools could have a new superintendent by July if the Board of Trustees gets its way. Earlier this month, the board finalized its top two superintendent search firm …
City & County
'One Lake' Bond Bill Passes House By Slim Margin After Questions
Proponents of the "One Lake" project along the Pearl River through Jackson got a financial boost when the Mississippi House of Representatives passed a nearly $100-million bond and loan measure …
National
Hood Joins Net Neutrality Fight
Attorney General Jim Hood will challenge the Federal Communications Commission's decision earlier this year to repeal net neutrality regulations.
Politics
Equal Pay Amendment 'Harmful' to Mississippi Workers, Advocates Say
Equal-pay advocates say that an amendment the Mississippi House of Representatives passed to guarantee that women are paid as much as men is actually harmful because it exempts many employees …
Politics
Budgets, Infrastructure Funding and What’s Still to Come
It's halftime in the Mississippi legislative session, and the heavy lifting for lawmakers trying to pass a balanced budget is just beginning.
Education
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.
Education
Better Together Commission Hires Contractor for JPS Study
The Better Together Commission, an independent group of community leaders and stakeholders tasked with soliciting input from Jackson Public Schools families, hired Insight Education Group to complete an in-depth study …
Politics
'Brain Drain' Tax Credit Legislation Passes Mississippi House
The Mississippi House of Representatives wants young people to stay in Mississippi. It unanimously passed a measure Wednesday to offer tax breaks to recent college graduates who stay in Mississippi …
Crime
Gang Bill Could Increase Prison Costs, Disparately Affect African Americans
Proposed legislation to crack down on gangs statewide could lead to increased prison costs, a move that would counteract the state's progress in decreasing the number of inmates—and taxpayer dollars …
Politics
Medicaid and Guns Bills Live, Vouchers Die
Rep. Jason White, R-West, who is largely responsible for writing the House's Medicaid bill, supported Rep. Cheikh Taylor's amendment to the House Medicaid legislation and asked the House to vote …
Crime
Re-Entry Reforms Still Alive in Legislature
Mississippi can begin to look at justice reinvestment, and it should be a priority, Andre de Gruy, the state public defender who is also on the state's Corrections and Criminal …
