News

Mississippi Leaders Spar Over Tax Cuts as Deadlines Approach

Mississippi House leaders offered a revised proposal Wednesday to phase out the state income tax, sending it to Senate leaders as legislators approach big deadlines to set taxes and spending.

Mo Williams

Former Murrah High School star and NBA player Mo Williams accepted JSU’s offer to serve as the school’s new head coach. Williams spent the last two seasons coaching at Alabama State University.

JSU Blue Tie Gala and Regions Card, MSU Virtual Reality Grant

Jackson State University’s National Alumni Association will host its fifth annual Blue Tie Gala on Saturday, April 9, at 7 p.m. at the Jackson Convention Complex in downtown Jackson.

Schools, Libraries Close As Mayor Declares Weather Emergency

In the midst of severe weather threatening Mississippi and the larger South, Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba issued a proclamation of a local weather emergency this morning closing vulnerable locations and providing a notice of sandbag availability to help prepare for the storm.

Emmett Till Family Again Demands Prosecution of White Woman for Child’s Lynching

The family of Emmett Till is once again calling for justice, nearly 70 years past young Till’s vicious murder, tied to a cotton-gin fan in the Tallahatchie River.

Jacquelynn’s Weekend Picks 3/18-3/20

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend in the metro area, don’t worry. We have you covered. Whether you’re looking for a night out on the town or a fun family day, there’s something appropriate for you.

Mississippi Senate OKs Pay Raise for Teachers, House to Vote

Mississippi teachers would receive their largest pay raise in years, under a bill that the state Senate passed Thursday.

It's a Deal: Mississippi Teacher Pay Plan Awaits Final Votes

Negotiators from the Mississippi House and Senate reached a deal Wednesday to boost some of the lowest teacher salaries in the nation.

Mississippi Legislature Cuts Ties with Russia

Echoing deepening sanctions from the U.S. government, both the Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate passed resolutions this week condemning Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and barring any business between state entities and Russia.

JSU Education Endowment, Ezra Jack Keats Awards and Out of the Darkness Campus Walk at USM

Jackson State University recently received a $75,000 education endowment named for the late Stephen F. Mason, the 17th pastor of the Greater Pearlie Grove M.B. Church.

House, Senate Pursue Separate Tracks on Mississippi Tax Cuts

The Mississippi House and Senate are pushing forward with separate tax cut proposals, and leaders will hold final negotiations later this month.

Mississippi Pushes Toward Deal to Increase Teacher Salaries

Mississippi lawmakers on Wednesday discussed the latest proposal to boost some of the lowest teacher salaries in the nation, and negotiators said they hope to reach a final deal soon.

EXPLAINER: What's Behind Federal Anti-Lynching Legislation?

President Joe Biden is expected to sign into law the first bill that specifies lynching as a federal hate crime. The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, which Congress passed on March 7, enables the prosecution of crimes as lynchings if they are done during a hate crime in which the victim is injured or slain.

Mississippi Could Renew Push to Extend Medicaid for New Moms

Mississippi’s Republican-led Senate will try to revive a proposal to let mothers keep Medicaid coverage for a year after giving birth, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said Monday.

Lt. Gov. Hosemann: Suspend Mississippi Gas Tax 6 Months

Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said Monday that he and other Senate leaders are pushing to suspend the state's gasoline tax for six months to give drivers a break as gas prices continue climbing.

Waste Management Dismisses Lawsuit Against City of Jackson

Two weeks after filing a lawsuit against the City of Jackson, garbage-disposal company Waste Management has voluntarily filed a motion for dismissal of its case.

Reeves: Logjam on Tax Cut Could Force a Special Session

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves says he is not ruling out the possibility of calling a special legislative session to seek elimination of the state income tax if the House and Senate reach an impasse on the issue.

House Political Games Kill Medicaid Extension For New Mothers in Mississippi

For the second year in a row, Mississippi House leadership has once again killed an extension of postpartum Medicaid benefits, likely guaranteeing that many low-income people will lose health insurance benefits only two months after giving birth.

Mississippi House Makes Opening Bid on Teacher Pay Deal

Mississippi House leaders said Thursday that they have signed off on a plan to increase some of the lowest teacher salaries in the nation by an average of $4,850.

Emmett Till Relatives Seek Renewed Probe of '55 Lynching

Relatives of Emmett Till joined with supporters Friday in asking authorities to reverse their decision to close an investigation of his 1955 lynching and instead prosecute a white woman at the center of the case from the very beginning.

Additional Free COVID-19 Tests Available As Virus Declines Across State

As COVID-19 continues its decline across both Mississippi and the United States, the Biden administration has made additional COVID-19 test kits available for free home delivery to every household in the country.

Mississippi Advances Bill Against COVID Vaccine Mandates

Anyone in Mississippi could cite “a sincerely held religious objection” to avoid a public or private employer's COVID-19 vaccination mandate, under a bill that advanced Wednesday at the state Capitol.

MSU/MDAC Partnership, i.R.O.C.K. Grant and Marjorie Spruill Book Drive at USM

Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson announced a promotional partnership between the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce and Mississippi State University on Monday, March 7.

'Home Town' Stars Back Mississippi City's Tourism Tax Effort

The Mississippi House honored the stars of HGTV's “Home Town" at the state Capitol on Tuesday, and married couple Ben and Erin Napier used the visit to help lobby for a possible increase in a local tourism tax for their community.

Lumumba Apologizes for ‘Distraction’ over Dispute with City Council

One week after accusing Jackson City Council members of taking bribes in order to steer government contracts, Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba walked back some of his rhetoric, in tone if not in content.

Hearing Set for Mississippi Inmate Who Sought Execution Date

A Mississippi judge will hold a hearing next month to determine if a death row inmate truly wants to request an execution date and if the inmate is mentally competent to waive appeals in the case.

Analysis: Mississippi Legislators Face Pocketbook Decisions

Mississippi legislators are supposed to make big decisions about the state's pocketbook in the next few weeks, setting a budget that exceeds $6 billion and deciding whether to approve tax cuts.

Republicans Approve ‘CRT’ Bill Despite Opposition From All Black House Members

For six hours on Thursday, Black Mississippi House representatives argued against a bill that would set limits on discussions of race in classrooms. Once their arguments wrapped up, though, the chamber approved the bill in a 75-43 vote, sending it to the governor’s desk with only white Republicans voting in favor.

Shakira Austin

The University of Mississippi women’s basketball team finished fourth in the conference standings during the regular season. That finish allows the Rebels to earn a double-bye in the 2022 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Mississippi Teacher Pay Raise Bill Heading to Negotiations

Mississippi lawmakers will negotiate a final version of a bill to increase some of the lowest teacher salaries in the nation.

Ellington