[Head] Hazardous CivilityIn 2009, I spent 48 minutes on Paul Gallo's SuperTalk radio show. I wanted to persuade Gallo to help me expose the mainstream resurgence of the Council of Conservative Citizens, a segregationist group patterned after the 1960s-era white Citizen's Councils …
Mississippi a CO2 Dump?Mississippi would become a reservoir for carbon-dioxide storage under Senate Bill 2723 and House Bill 1098--both of which survived their respective Oil, Gas and Other Minerals committees this month.
Everybody Deserves Smoke-Free AirEverybody deserves smoke-free air. Pediatricians have first-hand experience about what happens when children and babies breathe second-hand smoke.
Immigrants, Medicaid and AbortionThe House took up a controversial bill demanding that state and local law-enforcement officials request proof of residency status from civilians they suspect are undocumented immigrants. The version of Senate Bill 2179 that left the Senate two weeks ago also …
Turn Down the PoliticsWith nearly two weeks before the Jackson City Council special election to replace former Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill (who left to serve as a Hinds County judge), candidate Quentin Whitwell was just as surprised as we were to find …
Lawmakers Tackle Critter CrueltyFor proponents of a felony animal-cruelty law in Mississippi, state Rep. Greg Ward, D-Ripley, seems like the biggest obstacle to success. Last year, when a Senate-approved bill to make the malicious torture or killing of a dog or cat a …
Ward 1 on IceMississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance Legal Project Director L. Patricia Ice waited until the last minute to enter the race for the vacant Ward 1 council seat. Ice barely managed to gather the 50-signature minimum on her petition to run against …
Showdown Ahead on Immigration LawsuitsMississippi lawmakers are headed for a standoff on two provisions of a proposed Arizona-style immigration bill. The House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 2179 yesterday but stripped a controversial section that would that would allow citizens to sue local law …
Ice Enters Jackson's Ward 1 RaceAt 4 p.m. yesterday, an hour before the city's deadline for Ward 1 city council candidates to file for the Feb. 15 special election, Attorney L. Patricia Ice submitted her paperwork to run for the seat vacated by Jeff Weill.
IHL and Other Kicked PuppiesLast week marked the final week for general bill submissions in this session of the Mississippi Legislature, and much legislation is already clearing the House and Senate. Committees in both chambers are also up against a Feb. 1 deadline to …
Ward Pulls Out of Ward 1 Council RaceMarcus Ward, who announced his candidacy for Ward 1 city councilman last month, has decided to pull out of the Feb. 15 special election leaving only Quentin Whitwell in the running for the seat.
Bill Proposes to End MPB FundingMississippi Public Broadcasting Acting Executive Director Jay Woods said a proposed bill that would eventually end state funding for his agency due, in part, to its supposed "liberal" bias would hinder the state's educational and economic growth.
Public Involvement is Necessary for Fairly Redrawing District LinesThere was some good news at the state Capitol in January. The Joint Legislative Redistricting Committee met to announce their plans for passage of a redistricting plan this legislative session. It's good to see that they are listening to Mississippians …