State’s College Students Face Financial Aid CrunchAllen Coon will lose one of his state scholarships, thanks to the Mississippi Legislature cutting over $1 million from state financial aid during the session that ended last month.
A Mayor's Story: Tony Yarber on His Past Mistakes and Evolving VisionMayor Tony Yarber is different this time around. During his first run for the job vacated when Mayor Chokwe Lumumba died in 2014, a bunch of urgent business suits surrounded and handled him amid a certain amount of arrogant campaign …
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.
Fifth Circuit to Decide if HB 1523 Is 'State-sponsored Discrimination'The rights of LGBT Mississippians were in the balance Monday as attorneys from Mississippi and beyond faced off in Texas over whether House Bill 1523, the "Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act," should become law in the state …
Mother, Leaders Call for Autism Therapy ExpansionChelsea McKinley knows what it's like to deal with the challenges of autism, namely accessing services and support she needs. She has three sons, all of whom have been diagnosed with various forms of nonverbal autism.
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 …
Special Session Ahead for Unfinished BusinessA bi-partisan attempt to fund road and bridge repair, as well as Mississippi's top attorney's legal budget, stalled in a last-hour fight between the two houses in the Capitol last week.
Rains Bring Flood Control Front of Mind; 'One Lake' Promised as SolutionThe reality and unpredictability of the mighty Pearl waters bring the issue of long-delayed and debated flood control back front of mind in the metro, as the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District, commonly call the Levee Board, …
The 2017 Legislature’s Lasting Effects on MississippiansThe raucous legislative session ended a few days early on March 29 with several successful bills headed to Gov. Phil Bryant for signature, but without budgets in place for the state's transportation needs or to fund the attorney general's office.
Don’t Cut the Creative IndustriesA ton of art mediums can provide a different point of view, from painting something in an unfamiliar style, to getting low to the ground and capturing that perfect photo, to telling other people's stories.
Charter School Funding Case Before Hinds County JudgeA group of parents with children in Jackson Public Schools challenged Mississippi's funding mechanism in the state's charter-school law in summer 2016, and this morning Hinds County Chancery Court Judge Dewayne Thomas heard oral arguments from several attorneys in the …
Legislature Passes Cap Complex Bill, Funds Will Kick in by 2018The Legislature passed the much-debated and anticipated Capitol Complex bill on the last day of their 2017 session, Wednesday, March 29. Both the House and the Senate passed the bill, which has changed substantially since its initial introduction, by wide-margin …
UPDATED: Gov. Bryant Joins States Supporting Trump's Travel BanTwelve states filed a brief in support of President Donald Trump's executive order titled "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States," which is his second attempt to ban immigration and travel from six majority-Muslim countries. Gov. …