Lydia QuarlesIf Lydia Quarles has her way, Mississippi will no longer rank as the 49th state in the nation for the number of females serving in elected office.
City Sets Special ElectionOn Tuesday, Jackson City Council members scheduled a special election for Feb. 15 to fill the Ward 1 council seat. The deadline for candidates to qualify for the Ward 1 special election is Jan. 26. Former councilman Jeff Weill who …
Building A Future that WorksBeginning a brand-new clean calendar at the turn of the year provides all of us the perfect opportunity to take stock of the past and make changes for a better future, especially those things we may have been procrastinating about.
[Head] And the Good News Is…The 2011 legislative session begins Jan. 4, and it's likely to be exceptionally loud, complicated and messy. Mississippi faces an unusual alignment of unfavorable omens: a budget crisis, a national climate favoring anti-immigrant sentiment, a contentious statewide election year and …
2011 Mississippi Legislative PreviewThe Mississippi Legislature returned Jan. 4, and many legislators are not looking forward to the kind of cuts facing state departments. The Mississippi Department of Mental Health is looking at a shortfall of more than $30 million this year, which …
A More Collegial CouncilAt 33, Marcus Ward is already a veteran of Jackson city politics. From 2005 to 2009, he served as chief of staff and director of intergovernmental relations under former Mayor Frank Melton. Now he is considering a run for the …
Voter ID, Abortion, Eminent Domain, Oh MySecretary of State Delbert Hosemann will deliver three voter-referendum initiatives to the state Legislature this morning that could require voters to bring photo identification to polls, restrict the state's use of eminent domain and amend state law to define when …
Legislature Returns; How to Track BillsAs state legislators return to the Capitol tomorrow for the 2011 Legislative session, lawmakers will spend the next 90 days approving diminished funding for state agencies and debating a host of bills.
Common Sense in 2011Political junkies watched with some surprise as the lame-duck 2010 Congress passed a number of last-minute bills to bring the year to a close. Widely heralded as a week of "wins" for President Obama, the accomplishments are hopefully a bit …
[Stiggers] A Christmas Safety NetQweem-O-Wheat: "It looks like a lot of people will have a merry Christmas and survive the New Year. Why? Because the left-wing Democrats and right-wing Republicans of the good ship ‘Bi-Partisan' agreed to appease the rich and accommodate the broke …
Technology and the GovernmentGoogle set off grassroots campaigns in dozens of cities this year when it announced its Google Fiber for Communities contest. Google promised to finance enormous fiber-optic infrastructure projects in the city with the best proposal. The project would provide connection …
Chism Links Democratic Gains to DemographicsPolitical consultant Brad Chism predicts future Democratic gains in Mississippi, despite losses in the Nov. 2 elections, if Republicans continue to alienate minority voters over the next few decades.
Wicker Opposes Bill With His EarmarksMississippi's Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker said yesterday that he is not supporting a proposed $1.2 trillion spending bill because it is filled with earmark spending although he inserted more earmarks into the bill than almost any other senator.