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[Head] Hazardous Civility

In 2009, I spent 48 minutes on Paul Gallo's SuperTalk radio show. I wanted to persuade Gallo to help me expose the mainstream resurgence of the Council of Conservative Citizens, a segregationist group patterned after the 1960s-era white Citizen's Councils that had recently received public support from a state senator.

Mississippi a CO2 Dump?

Mississippi would become a reservoir for carbon-dioxide storage under Senate Bill 2723 and House Bill 1098--both of which survived their respective Oil, Gas and Other Minerals committees this month.

Everybody Deserves Smoke-Free Air

Everybody deserves smoke-free air. Pediatricians have first-hand experience about what happens when children and babies breathe second-hand smoke.

Senate Passes Total Texting While Driving Ban

The Mississippi Senate wants to expand a ban on texting while driving to include everyone in the state.

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.

Turn Down the Politics

With nearly two weeks before the Jackson City Council special election to replace former Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill (who left to serve as a Hinds County judge), candidate Quentin Whitwell was just as surprised as we were to find out attorney and activist L. Patricia Ice had jumped into the race.

[Parshall] Firestorm Misses the Point

The blood libel remains a potent bogeyman in anti-Semitic rhetoric around the world.

Lawmakers Tackle Critter Cruelty

For proponents of a felony animal-cruelty law in Mississippi, state Rep. Greg Ward, D-Ripley, seems like the biggest obstacle to success. Last year, when a Senate-approved bill to make the malicious torture or killing of a dog or cat a felony died in the House Agriculture Committee, many animal-welfare advocates blamed Ward, the committee chairman. This year, that same bill appears headed for Ward's committee again. Rep. Linda Whittington, D-Schlater, says, however, that Ward doesn't deserve a bad rap.

Ward 1 on Ice

Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance Legal Project Director L. Patricia Ice waited until the last minute to enter the race for the vacant Ward 1 council seat. Ice barely managed to gather the 50-signature minimum on her petition to run against Jackson lobbyist Quentin Whitwell in the Feb. 15 special election to replace departing Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill. Weill took office as a Hinds County Circuit Court judge in January after a successful November election.

Showdown Ahead on Immigration Lawsuits

Mississippi lawmakers are headed for a standoff on two provisions of a proposed Arizona-style immigration bill. The House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 2179 yesterday but stripped a controversial section that would that would allow citizens to sue local law enforcement and public officials for not enforcing the restrictions. In its place, the House inserted a provision allowing citizens to take a business to court for hiring undocumented workers.

Ice Enters Jackson's Ward 1 Race

At 4 p.m. yesterday, an hour before the city's deadline for Ward 1 city council candidates to file for the Feb. 15 special election, Attorney L. Patricia Ice submitted her paperwork to run for the seat vacated by Jeff Weill.

IHL and Other Kicked Puppies

Last week marked the final week for general bill submissions in this session of the Mississippi Legislature, and much legislation is already clearing the House and Senate. Committees in both chambers are also up against a Feb. 1 deadline to pass or dump bills in their own chamber.

Ward Pulls Out of Ward 1 Council Race

Marcus Ward, who announced his candidacy for Ward 1 city councilman last month, has decided to pull out of the Feb. 15 special election leaving only Quentin Whitwell in the running for the seat.

Bill Proposes to End MPB Funding

Mississippi Public Broadcasting Acting Executive Director Jay Woods said a proposed bill that would eventually end state funding for his agency due, in part, to its supposed "liberal" bias would hinder the state's educational and economic growth.

Public Involvement is Necessary for Fairly Redrawing District Lines

There was some good news at the state Capitol in January. The Joint Legislative Redistricting Committee met to announce their plans for passage of a redistricting plan this legislative session. It's good to see that they are listening to Mississippians and are committed to adopting a timely and fair plan.

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