State reporter Ashton Pittman is from Hattiesburg, Miss. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, where he studied journalism and political science.
Recent Commentary
Politics
Opinion: Men, Punishing Women and Reporters for #MeToo is Not the Answer
Rep. Robert Foster says he denied a woman reporter equal access to his campaign because he does not want people to think he's having an affair. Many of his supporters, …
Politics
OPINION: Legislature Needs More Sunlight, New Technology
There are some simple steps the Legislature could take that would bolster trust not only among the lawmakers, but also between themselves and the public.
Recent Stories
Abortion
Governor Attempts to Ban Mississippi Abortions, Citing Need to Preserve PPE
Gov. Tate Reeves says he is halting abortions in Mississippi to help free up personal protective equipment for hospitals to use as they deal with an escalating number of COVID-19 …
Health Care
Rep. Palazzo: Rural Hospitals ‘On Brink’ of ‘Collapse,’ Need Relief Amid Pandemic
Congress must assist rural hospitals in its upcoming bill aimed at blunting the economic devastation the coronavirus has wrought, Mississippi Congressman Steven Palazzo wrote in a letter to top U.S. …
State
Two Mississippi Congressmen Skip Vote on COVID-19 Emergency Response Bill
Two Republican Mississippi Congressmen, U.S. Reps. Steven Palazzo and Trent Kelly, did not show up for a vote on the #FamiliesFirst Coronavirus Response Act.
State
'Do Not Go to Church': Three Forrest County Coronavirus Cases Bring Warnings
The Mississippi State Department of Health confirmed two more cases of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, in Mississippi this morning. All three known patients currently reside in Forrest County.
Personhood
'An Abortion Desert': Mississippi Women May Feel Effect of Louisiana Case
A Louisiana abortion law would turn the Bayou State into "an abortion desert" and would have strong ripple effects for women in Mississippi and other states across the country, opponents …
Crime
The TANF Players
Since the last issue, a huge corruption scandal hit Mississippi with allegations of theft inside a State agency working with prominent Mississippians, Republican donors and former pro wrestlers. Here are …
Personhood
GOP Wants to Override Jackson's Abortion Clinic 'Buffer Zone' Law
Jackson's medical facility "buffer zone" law, which minimizes protest activities in the immediate vicinity of the state's only abortion clinic, may be short-lived if a Republicans bill in the Mississippi …
Crime
'Sprawling Conspiracy' Ensnares Voucher Beneficiaries, Republican Donors
At least two people who donated significant sums to Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves' campaign allegedly engaged in what the state's top elected official calls a "disgusting abuse of power."
Politics
New Republican Legislator Resigns Under Pressure from Speaker Gunn
Mississippi House Rep. Ramona Blackledge, the Republican woman whom Jones County voters sent to Jackson to represent them in the Mississippi House of Representatives, is resigning just weeks into her …
Politics
Poll: Mississippians Back Medicaid Expansion, Hyde-Smith ‘Flailing’
"Given her flailing approval rating, it is no surprise that Senator Hyde-Smith is in an already tightening race with Mike Espy," Espy Campaign Manager Joe O'Hern said. "Whether it is …
