Kitchens for Mississippi Supreme Court
Yet again, a race for a vitally important position in Mississippi has devolved into misleading rhetoric about a candidate for, supposedly, being soft on violent crime.
Do Not Appeal Frivolous Planned Parenthood Law
A federal judge struck down Mississippi's political Medicaid reimbursement law for "nontherapeutic abortion providers" last week in an attempt to block Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funding.
Mississippi: Stop Disenfranchising Black Voters
Mississippi has the second highest rate of voter disenfranchisement in the country, largely due to post-sentence restrictions. The state is one of 12 where a person can serve his or her time, be released and not automatically be able to vote. Twenty-two convictions means no voting rights until the Legislature, governor or a judge says otherwise.
State Leaders: It’s Time to Dump Trump
If our state's political leaders were looking for an easy opt-out of supporting Donald Trump for president, they missed that precious 48-hour window of opportunity to speak out and say so.
Mental Care Needed for All, Including Inmates
Of the more than 19,000 men and women behind bars in Mississippi, about 3,000 inmates are receiving mental-health care.
Save the Arts, Save the Arts Council
By cutting funding to the Greater Jackson Arts Council, the City of Jackson administration ends a 35-year-long legacy of providing access to funding and support for those with the least amount of exposure to the traditionally white-only art network. Barring a major shift by the administration, Jackson has to develop ways to buttress the arts community or prepare to do without.
Help Kids with Action and Planning, Not Ego
It's a tough time for children in Jackson, and in Mississippi overall. Truthfully, at least when it comes to poor children, the state has never been especially kind or helpful to them.
Don’t Let Up on the State Flag: It Must Change
Mississippians have attempted to change the state flag in several venues: ballot initiatives, lawsuits and petitioning lawmakers to pass legislation. So far, nothing has worked.
City Must Pick Up the Pieces, Move On
The City of Jackson needs to do whatever it takes to keep from being ruled and stagnated by rumors and lawsuits. And let's be honest, after the lawsuits filed against Mayor Tony Yarber and the administration, a lot of rumors are flying around.
Mississippi, Time for More Women in Office
It's 2016, a year that some would argue is historic in nature, as women around the country watch another woman heading a major political party's campaign for the White House. But sexism is far from over, even within millennial circles, where being progressive is increasingly becoming the new norm.
VA, Please Listen to Veterans
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has taken a step, albeit a small one, in the right direction. They've admitted they have a problem, specifically with wait times for military veterans.
Face, Vote the Truth About Juvy Detention
With so much knowledge at our disposal, we are running out of excuses not to fix juvenile justice in Hinds County.
We Need Leadership, Organization, Openness
The only mayor any of us should elect is one with a laser focus on getting our city organized to solve our problems together. We need real leadership now.
Mr. Trump, We Are All Immigrants
This is a nation built on immigration. Unless you are Native American, you are not indigenous to this country.
Mindsets Must Change to Stop Juvenile Crime
Assumptions that a citizen execution is appropriate for a property crime and that certain young people can't be helped and should be locked up are at the crux of our juvenile-crime crisis.
Wasting Resources on Lies
The state's leaders prioritize their conservative politicking above all else despite costs to the taxpayer that a federal lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood after Senate Bill 2238 took effect July 1 will inevitably have.
What the End of Bonding Really Means
With the end of bonding for misdemeanor offenses in the Jackson Municipal Court, the cost of freedom for indigent offenders prior to their trial seems to be the death of the local bonding industry.
To Prevent Violent Crime, Engage with Experts Like Harlem’s Kai Smith for Ideas
In Jackson, and Mississippi in general, it is a sport to complain about crime, not to mention to sensationalize it. The TV stations love to milk crime, especially in the capital city, for viewers and ratings, often leading the evening news with it, as if nothing could be more important.
For the Love of Women, Kids, Everyone Else
The Legislature is already in a financial bind—calling a special session with two days left in the fiscal year clearly means things are bad. So quit making them worse by wasting tax dollars on lawsuits that go nowhere except as a bullet point on your campaign flyers for 2019.
It’s Time to Fight for Disability Rights
At its core, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act is about discrimination. The federal act was passed in 1990, and Title II "prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities."
Politicizing Tragedy
The nation woke up Sunday to a horrific shock—the worst mass shooting in recent U.S. history—that at least for now appears to be part terror, part hate crime.
City Council and Mayor: Get on Same Page
We can see it from both sides—Mayor Tony Yarber, after running on a platform of transparency, has dipped deep in to the rainy day fund and then brought it up after the fact. And while the entire Siemens contract and water snafu isn't completely his fault, it hasn't exactly been managed with great alacrity.
Trafficking: An Ugly Reality in Mississippi
Human trafficking, a form of slavery, doesn't just happen overseas in prostitution rings or on television. It's a nasty, ugly reality—and it happens right here in Mississippi.
Lawmakers: Stop Using Transgender Citizens as Political Pawns
In a state where lawmakers couldn't make domestic violence grounds for divorce, the same group of legislators claim that the protection of girls and women informs their decision to demand the state superintendent of education to resign from her job for "risking the safety" of girls in classrooms.
Lawmakers: Stop the Shortsighted, Dangerous Budget Cuts
Several state agencies are looking at budget cuts for the coming fiscal year, and a reduction in services to Mississippians—from mental-health care to rehabilitation treatment—will inevitably put pressure on local communities and other support services to pick up the slack.
Using Evidence to Bridge Partisan Gaps
Of all the things the Legislature did this year, a budgeting strategy that could potentially save the state wasted dollars in the long-term and ensure taxpayer dollars fund successful programs emerged as a priority, albeit a quiet one, of the legislative leadership.
Needed: Public Engagement in Policing
It takes more than policing to "cut down on crime" and create safer neighborhoods. It takes a village, quite literally. Community engagement is crucial to keeping neighborhoods and cities safe.
Hosemann Wrong on Voter ID, Right on Election Reform
The state's election laws and rules are outdated, and if you don't believe us, just go back and read about the two contested election races that shadowed the beginning of the 2016 session.
Lawmakers: Cashing in on Campaign Promises is Costly and Senseless
Cutting state agencies, some by more than 10 percent, is bad. Cutting state agencies and then offering up a tax-break bill that will divert even more money from the state's general fund is plain stupid.
Lawmakers, Mississippians Are Sick and Tired of Expensive, Harmful Political Charades
In interviews about House Bill 1523, several lawyers and legal scholars have explained that is close to irrefutable that the law is unconstitutional on several counts.