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Immigrants, Medicaid and Abortion

The 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 allowed citizens to sue local members of law enforcement for not enforcing the language of the bill—an issue that municipal and law enforcement advocates warned would cut into cities' funds and tie up vital law-enforcement personnel in court.

Hinds County Officials Spar, Returning to Courthouse Sunday

After more than two days of resolving conflicts over the Tuesday's elections, election officials and campaign supporters will head back to the Hinds County Courthouse at 9 a.m. Saturday to continue counting ballots and resolving voting issues.

[Balko] We're All Felons, Now

Perpetual public fear of crime has turned us all into criminals.

[Dickerson] A FedEx Christmas Story

Mackey Wright was on his way to Toys R Us on County Line Road, where he planned to shop for a Christmas present for his son, when he saw something in the road that didn't belong there—a FedEx package.

[Kamikaze] Superman Married to Superwoman

Frequent readers of my column know I often write about my mother. She was a great woman—indeed, one of the finest to walk the Earth. Her passing has left a void not just in my heart but in this city as well. We are all better for her having been here.

[Kamikaze] When Politicians Attack

I'm sure by now you've read enough reviews of 2006. You've probably read as many predictions for 2007.

Necessary Means?

Throughout public debate of the allegations that Mayor Frank Melton and associates demolished a Ridgeway home, Councilman Kenneth Stokes has applauded Melton's actions. At Tuesday's City Council meeting, Stokes said: "We have to fight these dope boys by any means necessary. The mayor used a sledgehammer. I would have used a bulldozer."

Week Two: Budget Woes, Taxes, Photo ID

Legislators came face-to-face with rough times this week with Gov. Haley Barbour calling for $158.3 million in budget reductions for fiscal year 2009.

Alliances of the Little Guys

Jeff Milchen doesn't like big boxes. In 1997, Milchen noticed with alarm that large chain stores were rapidly displacing the locally owned, independent stores that gave Boulder, Colo., its character.

‘Where the Glitch Is'

Bill Gowan wants to make his temporary post on the Hinds County Circuit Court more permanent. Currently serving as a special circuit judge, Gowan hears serious drug and violent-crime cases investigated and prosecuted by the Jackson Enforcement Team, a federally funded program.

Alabama, Apes and Adam Perry

I recently had a chance to sit down with Adam Perry, account and distribution manager for the Jackson Free Press, to talk about his first novel, "Boxing Gorillas." The story is a well-paced and fun read that deftly blends elements of suspense, comedy and action into an engaging romp through Alabama.

Meeting Between the Lines

Three Jackson Public School Board members may have held an illegal meeting last week. JPS Board member H. Ann Jones said she witnessed a Chastain Middle School assistant principal tell board member Sollie Norwood that board members Delmer Stamps and Ivory Phillips wanted to speak with him in a separate meeting room during a public forum regarding the district's search for a new superintendent.

Eyes on Spending

One of the great things about government transparency is its trans-partisan appeal. Conservatives can distrust government just as much as liberals, sometimes more. Still, when it comes to high-tech watchdog organizations and initiatives, most innovation seems to come from vaguely progressive, if officially nonpartisan, sources.

BREAKING: Judge DeLaughter Arraigned in Bribery Scandal

JFP coverage of DeLaughter and Peters

Politics Plaguing Entergy Audit

Republicans in the Mississippi Senate could kill a House bill that would merge the Public Service Commission, which elected officials run, and the Public Utilities Staff, which is operated by governor-appointed staffers. The House of Representatives Public Utilities Committee passed a bill last week moving the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff back under the supervision of the Public Service Commission. As the Jackson Free Press recently reported, Commissioner Brandon Presley and others complain that the separation has inhibited the Commission's ability to correctly audit power company Entergy Mississippi and how it imposes rates on Mississippi consumers.

[HOOD] Stimulus Package Offers Solutions to Faltering Economy, Rising Crime

Guest column

Crime and the economy. No matter how it's sliced, these two issues are inextricably linked. When we face one problem head on, we also tackle the other. And that is why the President's economic stimulus package is so important. It offers answers to both.

Moore Demands 'Cover-up' Evidence from DA

In response to several desperate motions filed by Sharrod Moore's defense attorney requesting that the DA provide "any and all evidence in his possession regarding a police cover-up," Hinds County Circuit Judge Swan Yerger is delaying the capital murder trial of the 30-year-old, who has now been indicted twice for allegedly killing Jackson police officer Robert J. Washington in 1995. The original trial date was Sept. 15; Yerger has not yet set a new date.

UPDATED: Feds Want Melton Gun Charge Dropped

Federal prosecutors plan to drop one of the three charges against Mayor Frank Melton and his former bodyguard Michael Recio, according to reports by WAPT and WLBT. Prosecutor Mark Blumberg reportedly told Jordan at a teleconference yesterday that the government intends to request the dismissal of a gun charge against Melton and Recio. Prosecutors must file a motion to dismiss the charge to make its removal official.

Barbour Announces New Coast Housing Effort

Under fire for diverting federal funds away from low- and middle-income housing for Katrina survivors, Gov. Haley Barbour today announced a new housing plan for public-sector employees on the Gulf Coast. Per a verbatim statement from his office:

Mayor Brings Back Crime Unit, UMMC Grant

Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. reversed two of the last mayor's more controversial decisions Wednesday, announcing that he is bringing back the Crime Prevention Unit that Mayor Frank Melton eliminated four years ago, as well as reinstating an annual UMMC payment of $200,000 t to finance fire equipment and special training for firefighters. Melton had canceled the UMMC annual payment in lieu of taxes that Johnson had arranged during his last term as mayor.

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