Stinker Quote of the Week: 'No Crisis'Gov. Phil Bryant railed against the media three separate times while speaking at the Mental Health Summit at the Jackson Hilton last week.
Address Racial Bias in Policing Now, Not LaterDiscriminatory policing has always been a reality in Mississippi, where too many cops have long enforced deeply held racial stereotypes. The excuse from many people is that, well, more black people commit crime.
It’s Time to Start Talking About Equity in EducationLegislative Republicans gave themselves pats on the back this session for funding the School Recognition Program, which rewards teachers primarily in "A" and "B" schools around the state with salary supplements. The program totals more than $20 million in funds …
Vetoing Criminal Reforms Shortsighted, DangerousWhether it was due to a "mistake" or a poison pill inserted at the last hour, Gov. Phil Bryant vetoed House Bill 1033 last week after both houses passed the criminal-justice reform measure unanimously.
State Testing Presents Bigger Equity QuestionThe Third Grade Reading Gate certainly serves a statewide purpose: to weed out and ideally save those kids who never learn how to read. But what if catching them isn't enough?
What We’re Looking for in a MayorWith the mayoral primary just a few weeks away, we've been discussing our JFP endorsement possibilities; we haven't yet chosen a candidate, but we've been talking about the criteria.
State Budget Cuts Mean Dramatic Job LossFor the most part, Republicans are not apologizing for their "small government" priorities to legislating, even if it means health needs and equitable education suffer. Shrinking the size of government as a philosophy, however, has another natural outcome: the loss …
Cheers to Bi-partisanship in the Mississippi HouseThe blame for the budget meltdown belongs to both the House and the Senate, but if you believe that bipartisanship, maintaining the state's infrastructure and compromise are important in how laws are made, give your House members a high-five the …
Use the T-word: Trauma Matters, Must Be TreatedWithout an understanding of trauma—what often lies beneath the surface of a child who was taken out of an abusive home or a teenager in juvenile detention—the wounds won't heal.
Denying Sanctuary Spreads FearIn the midst of a souring national climate toward immigration—thanks in large part to President Donald Trump's executive order, which authorizes more detention facilities to hold detained immigrants, among other costly revamping measures—Mississippi's leaders have stubbornly aligned themselves with Trump's …
An Editor and a GentlemanAn odd fluke of fate brought me to the patch of dirt where three civil rights workers were murdered in my home county, holding the hand of James Chaney's daughter 40 years after he died there.
Killing Online Sales Tax Bill Is HypocrisyThe state's budget is shrinking, and whether a lawmaker blames slow economic development or large tax breaks given to corporations that never came to Mississippi, the budget squeeze is on most legislators' minds this session.
Lawmakers: Stay Off the Trump Immigrant RoadWith a president hell-bent on securing borders and going after undocumented immigrants in the name of drug wars and criminal activity, it is a scary time to not technically be legal.
Stop the Mental Health PolitickingLawmakers should and could have addressed mental health-care reform in previous sessions as well as this session. It turns out that addressing the problem with secrecy and an assumption of a Republican supermajority won't always work.
The Problem with EdBuildThere has been much hoopla this legislative session over the 80-page proposal from EdBuild suggesting that Mississippi move to weighted student funding to pay for its public-education system.
Legislators, Get the City’s Infrastructure Bill RightThe City of Jackson gets another chance at an infrastructure revitalization bill this session, but the additions that led to the death of last year's Capitol Complex bill hang heavy over new attempts to garner Jackson a little more tax …
These Are the Best of TimesNo doubt, we're living through unsettling times. It would be easy to get depressed and angry at everything that lies before us to get done and repair—from a national political divide, to budget problems in the Capitol and City Hall, …
It’s Math, Governor. Tax Cuts Hurt Revenue.One of the key elements missing in discussions of Gov. Phil Bryant's recent budget cuts, the second wave of cuts in the State's current fiscal year, is the 40-plus tax cuts since he became governor.
Stop Justifying Execution of Children, Car ThievesWe live in a culture where many say it is appropriate to march a weapon out of your home and office if you suspect someone is trying to steal your stuff—and kill them.
Start Running Government Like a BusinessWhether from Donald Trump or the GOP supermajority in the Mississippi Legislature, we hear constantly that Republicans want to "run government like a business." The problem is that many of them don't appear to know how legitimate, forward-looking, smart businesses …
Time to Do Away with the Electoral CollegeSeveral protesters stood in a line outside the Mississippi Capitol on Dec. 16 chanting "Brief the electors; send it to the House!" They were primarily protesting the Electoral College, the increasingly problematic way in which the United States has elected …
Data Needed to Change Young People’s LivesIn order to solve a problem, you have to understand it fully. Just ask the state of Georgia, which used data to discover that detention wasn't working for its young people.
Recognizing Racial Injustice in IncarcerationCriminal-justice reforms are not only necessary for cost savings to the state but also a necessity to work toward a more equitable justice system.
Public Streets Must Be Open to All ResidentsCrime will not go away if we build gates or walls. It will only fester on the other side until we all start doing our part to actually prevent it.
Keep Fighting for Transparency in MississippiWhile the fight for the Legislature's contract with nonprofit EdBuild dominated headlines this past week, it is important to not get lost in the weeds.
Address Trauma to Stop Youth Crime CyclesViolence can sow seeds of fear in a community, but scientifically speaking, it literally leaves trauma in its wake. The psychological damage of witnessing violence can lead to more severe health consequences, from suicidal behavior to complex mental-health problems.
Gov. Phil Bryant railed against the media three separate times while speaking at the Mental Health Summit at the Jackson Hilton last week.
Discriminatory policing has always been a reality in Mississippi, where too many cops have long enforced deeply held racial stereotypes. The excuse from many people is that, well, more black people commit crime.
Legislative Republicans gave themselves pats on the back this session for funding the School Recognition Program, which rewards teachers primarily in "A" and "B" schools around the state with salary supplements. The program totals more than $20 million in funds …
Whether it was due to a "mistake" or a poison pill inserted at the last hour, Gov. Phil Bryant vetoed House Bill 1033 last week after both houses passed the criminal-justice reform measure unanimously.
What does Jackson need? The most often griped-about, joked-about and discussed surface-level fix in this city are potholes.
The Third Grade Reading Gate certainly serves a statewide purpose: to weed out and ideally save those kids who never learn how to read. But what if catching them isn't enough?
With the mayoral primary just a few weeks away, we've been discussing our JFP endorsement possibilities; we haven't yet chosen a candidate, but we've been talking about the criteria.
For the most part, Republicans are not apologizing for their "small government" priorities to legislating, even if it means health needs and equitable education suffer. Shrinking the size of government as a philosophy, however, has another natural outcome: the loss …
The blame for the budget meltdown belongs to both the House and the Senate, but if you believe that bipartisanship, maintaining the state's infrastructure and compromise are important in how laws are made, give your House members a high-five the …
Without an understanding of trauma—what often lies beneath the surface of a child who was taken out of an abusive home or a teenager in juvenile detention—the wounds won't heal.
In the midst of a souring national climate toward immigration—thanks in large part to President Donald Trump's executive order, which authorizes more detention facilities to hold detained immigrants, among other costly revamping measures—Mississippi's leaders have stubbornly aligned themselves with Trump's …
An odd fluke of fate brought me to the patch of dirt where three civil rights workers were murdered in my home county, holding the hand of James Chaney's daughter 40 years after he died there.
The state's budget is shrinking, and whether a lawmaker blames slow economic development or large tax breaks given to corporations that never came to Mississippi, the budget squeeze is on most legislators' minds this session.
With a president hell-bent on securing borders and going after undocumented immigrants in the name of drug wars and criminal activity, it is a scary time to not technically be legal.
Lawmakers should and could have addressed mental health-care reform in previous sessions as well as this session. It turns out that addressing the problem with secrecy and an assumption of a Republican supermajority won't always work.
If you think President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration and refugee programs had no consequences for Mississippians, think again.
There has been much hoopla this legislative session over the 80-page proposal from EdBuild suggesting that Mississippi move to weighted student funding to pay for its public-education system.