Stamps Wants Discernment, Small Pool for Mayor's RaceIn a scene reminiscent of the dramatic cable series "The Wire," Ward 4 Councilman De'Keither Stamps invited potential mayoral contenders and city contractors to a City Hall press conference this morning to kick off a week of prayer and discernment.
Council Sets April 8 Special Election to Replace LumumbaAt a meeting of the Jackson City Council, after some debate among members, the council set the date of the special election for the late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba's seat: April 8, 2014.
A Push to Draft Chokwe Antar Lumumba as MayorAs Jackson ponders the question of who will step into the mayor's seat after the sudden death of Chokwe Lumumba last week, some are looking at Lumumba's son, Chokwe Antar, as a viable option.
Anti-Gay Push Setback in Miss., Ariz.A House subcommittee may take the wind out of the sails of a so-called religious-freedom proposal that civil-liberties groups feared would lead to legalized discrimination.
Dems Push GOP into Corner on PayraisesUnder the recommended budget for fiscal year 2015, which begins July 1, teachers are in line to receive a raise, but employees of most agencies are not.
A Million and One QuestionsAs if Mississippi taxpayers haven't been burdened enough defending lawsuits that appear patently unconstitutional, the Mississippi House of Representatives approved a proposal last week to ban abortions more than 20 weeks after conception.
Getting Ready for the 1-Percent Sales TaxBusinesses across the state have emails in their inboxes from the Mississippi Department of Revenue about accounting for the capital city's 1-percent sales tax beginning March 1.
Colleges Recruited to Offer Teen-Pregnancy SolutionsSB 2563 specifies that colleges provide information on how to avoid pregnancy in "success courses and orientations," and incorporate facts about unplanned pregnancy in other academic classes.
Starving the Public-Education 'Beast'The statute that SB 2091 proposes to change contains the rules for MAEP, including how the Legislature should calculate funding for school districts.
Moment of Clarity: Teacher Pay, HealthcareSpeaker Philip Gunn's vocal campaign for a teacher pay raise this year met widely with raised eyebrows, both among his fellow Republicans and his Democratic foes with whom he often spars.
Health-Care Navigators Fight MisinformationJarvis Dortch, program manager for the Mississippi Health Advocacy Group and a marketplace navigator for the Affordable Care Act, says many people don’t know that the ACA is the same as “Obamacare.”
Jackson Still Upbeat on Capitol AgendaPart of Walter Zinn's job, as director of governmental affairs for Jackson, is lobbying for the interests of the capital city in the state Legislature, which can be frustrating.
Lawmakers: What Makes a Drug Trafficker?It was a sometimes contentious but relatively brief floor battle in the Mississippi House of Representatives as lawmakers grappled with the nuts and bolts of sweeping prison-reform legislation.
Teachers to 'Jump Through Hoops' for Pay Raise?Another marathon debate session in the Mississippi House of Representatives ended with the 86-26 passage of a bill to increase teacher salaries by about $4,250 over four years.