$6 Billion Budget, But No Roads, Bridges FundsState revenues are higher than expected, and lawmakers set aside about $112 million, or 2 percent, of the state budget for its rainy day fund, as they worked several late nights at the Mississippi Legislature to pass a roughly $6-billion …
Youth Take Lead on Guns in SchoolsAs the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School take the world stage to demand stricter gun laws, many people in the Jackson metro area recall that 20 years ago, Rankin County had its own high-profile school shooting.
Medicaid Funding in Flux as Lawmakers Work on $6 Billion BudgetOver the weekend, lawmakers worked to pass a roughly $6-billion budget to fund state agencies beginning in July. They have until Monday night to complete passing the state budget, with 10 budget bills left by press time.
Mayor Lumumba on Paternity Leave Until April 3Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and his wife, Ebony Lumumba, welcomed a baby girl Wednesday, March 21. Nubia Ngozi was born at 8:09 a.m., weighing 8 pounds and 1 ounce.
Governor Defends Choice of Cindy Hyde-Smith to U.S. Senate SeatGov. Phil Bryant made history on Wednesday, March 21, when he named Cindy Hyde-Smith to take Sen. Thad Cochran's seat, which he will vacate on April 1. Mississippi has never sent a woman to Congress.
Lawmakers Turn to Budgets; Re-Entry Reforms on Governor’s DeskIt's crunch time at the Mississippi Capitol. This week lawmakers will have to finalize the state budget, predominantly behind closed doors, before passing a slim fiscal-year 2019 budget.
UPDATED: ‘Galactic Trouble’ for Foster Care Ahead?Jess Dickinson likes to use an ancient maxim he heard in a film, "The Bourne Ultimatum," to illustrate where he sits currently as the commissioner of Mississippi's foster-care system. "Hope for the best; plan for the worst," Dickinson says.
Indigent Defendants Denied Counsel, Speedy Trials in 10 CountiesMississippians accused of felonies who cannot afford their own representation have the right to counsel and a speedy trial under the 6th Amendment, but a new report found that access to adequate representation across 10 Mississippi counties is lacking and …