Politics

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Learning to Work Together in a ‘Donut City'

In the late 1980s, a researcher visiting Jackson made Phil Hardwick a prediction. "Jackson is going to become a donut city," the researcher said, with people moving out of the urban center and into the suburbs. She was right.

Legislators Promise to Keep ‘13th Check'

This morning, legislators tried to calm fears about upcoming recommendations from the Public Employees' Retirement System Study Commission, saying they would not be in favor of ending the "13th check," or cost of living adjustments for state retirees.

Voters, Choose Wisely

Politicians are good at distracting voters. They seem to be getting better at it all the time. With the majority of them lawyers, it may just be a matter of their training: shift the attention of a jury (or a voter) to where you want them to look, not at what really needs to be looked at.

[Lee] My Health Is At Stake

In 2008, I was living in Colorado and facing a ballot initiative known as Amendment 48 to the state Constitution. It aims to define personhood as beginning at the moment of egg fertilization. In a statewide election, 73.2 percent of voters opposed the change, and defeated the amendment.

Hood vs. Simpson

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood, a Democrat, and his Republican opponent Steve Simpson accused each other last week of conflicts of interest.

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The JFP Interview with Steve Simpson

When Stephen Simpson stands over you with his 6-foot-7-inch frame, you might want to think twice before disagreeing with him. The Republican will tell you that "it's easy being on the right side," and makes no apologies or excuses for his position on issues. Perhaps it's his boisterous confidence that has aided his career as he progressed from attorney to circuit-court judge and Department of Public Safety commissioner.

Strong Opinions

Addie Green has strong opinions about life's basic necessities. She is running for a seat on the Public Service Commission, she said, because water, phone and sewage bills are too high. The PSC approves utility-rate increases, answers complaints from the public, and decides whether utility companies should construct new facilities and who should pay for them.

Being Proactive

Public Service Commissioner Lynn Posey was traveling when he called for this interview. As he was talking about his family—Kathy, his wife of 27 years, his son, Hunter, and his daughter, Kaitlyn—the call dropped. When he called back, Posey feigned indignation at the bad cell phone service and blamed it on Northern District Commissioner Brandon Presley, before laughing and admitting he was still in his Central District.

Hood Announces Guide for DV Victims

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood announced a new information guide for domestic violence victims at a press conference yesterday.

Simpson Defends Ethics of Consulting Contract

Attorney General Jim Hood's re-election campaign is accusing opponent Steve Simpson of using his former position as commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety to secure his current consulting contract with a national driver's license kiosk company. In response to media inquiries about the contract, Hood's re-election campaign manager Jonathan Compretta said that Simpson awarded a contract to L1 Identity Solutions days before he stepped down as commissioner.

Preparing for Battle

Twenty years ago, when Cristen Hemmins was a student at Millsaps College, two teenagers pulled out a gun and abducted her in the campus parking lot. The young men raped her and shot her twice as she fled to a gas station for safety.

Fire in Carson's Belly

Dorsey Carson, 40, has lived in northeast Jackson most of his life. He calls himself one of the "floodplain kids," youngsters who lived there during the Easter Flood of 1979. Carson graduated from Mississippi State University in 1993 and got his law degree from the University of Georgia in 1996. He has spent time in Atlanta and London, but returned in 2002 to Jackson where he lives with his wife, Susan Hays Carson, and 15-month-old daughter, Hays Elizabeth Carson. He is a Democrat challenging Republican incumbent Bill Denny in the Nov. 8 election for the District 64 House seat.

Denny: A Busy Man

State Rep. Bill Denny, R-Jackson, is a hard man to find. He doesn't seem to have a campaign website or someone to send out press releases. When I called the number listed on his official page at the Mississippi House's website, his wife was apologetic, but said he was a busy man and not interested in an interview. When a coworker gave me his cell phone number, he reiterated that he was busy and said he did not have time for an interview as he was in the middle of door-to-door campaigning.

Advocates Gear up For Personhood Battle

Anti-abortion advocates celebrated a Mississippi Supreme Court ruling last week that OK'd a Nov. 8 ballot initiative asking voters whether the state Constitution should define when life begins, but the battles over the proposed amendment are far from over.

Davis Drops Out of Supervisor's Race

Republican candidate Roger C. Davis confirmed this week that he is dropping out of the race for Hinds County District 1 supervisor against incumbent Robert Graham.

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