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Nader 'Spoiling' McCain?
Independent Party presidential hopeful Ralph Nader asked Jackson supporters this weekend to sign a petition to include him on the Mississippi ballot in November. Nader's Independent Party requires at least 1,000 valid signatures in order to be an option in the state.
Undocumented Workers, Felons and Fines
Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin warned that legislators had better be ready to back up Senate Bill 2988 with more funding if they intend for local law enforcement and jails to cover the impending crowd of convicts.
Willis Suit Moves Ahead
Jackson resident Cedric Willis said he will still get his day in court regarding his malicious prosecution suit against the city of Jackson, though the judge has moved the court date to September.
Coming After Bad Numbers
Mayor Frank Melton threatened to "come after" the ACLU of Mississippi Tuesday and threw out vastly inflated crime numbers to justify his methods, after the group accused him of racially profiling African Americans. ACLU Executive Director Nsombi Lambright did not deny that the mayor's "police" actions inspired the town-hall meeting later that day.
New Court Rethinking Judge Policy
The Mississippi Supreme Court is deliberating a rule change that would force the Hinds County Circuit Court to abandon a case assignment system that two black judges and some black lawyers criticized as discriminatory.
Voter ID Out of the Court
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals took Mississippi's voter ID debate out of the courtroom May 28, overturning a ruling that would have forced Mississippians to register, or re-register to vote by political party, and to present photo identification at the polls.
Allen Leaves Polarized Council
City Council President Ben Allen resigned last week, prompting a special election in Ward 1 and immediately changing the balance of power in city government. Although Allen became a Melton critic this year, voting against many of the mayor's proposals, he remained the one councilman able to forge compromises on a council deeply divided over the Melton administration. Allen's departure has apparently emboldened Melton supporters, while Melton critics deprived City Council of a quorum by walking out on a June 25 meeting.
Calling 911 For 911
Last week, Ward 1 Councilman Ben Allen exploded at the idea of Jackson being shackled to an emergency communication service that may be too costly. Allen also fears the new system may be incompatible with a statewide emergency communications system to emerge later this year, governed by rules of the Department of Homeland Security. Allen and Hinds County Emergency Management Director Larry Fisher argued specifically over the county's eagerness to purchase a Motorola communications system, instead of waiting for the state to pick its own system (which would finance Jackson's system in the process).
Storm Response: Better, By Degree
President George Bush praised the coordinated efforts of FEMA, MEMA, local agencies, and humanitarian organizations to work together and do battle with Gustav's category 2 winds when it came ashore in Louisiana earlier this month.
Dirty Laundry
The Mississippi Democratic Party called on Gov. Haley Barbour last week to speak openly about allegations that former U.S Rep. Chip Pickering laundered a $5,000 donation from his political action committee through Barbour's political action committee.
Youth Vote More Prominent in Future Elections?
Young voters believe that government has a role in American livesto fix problems and ensure economic equality. That's why the "redistribution" argument fell flat with them.
PSC Examining Charitable Contributions
Mississippi Public Service Commissioners Brandon Presley and Lynn Posey say they want to limit ratepayers funding charitable donations given by utility companies.
Council Blocks Pay Raises for Bodyguards
On Monday, the Jackson City Council halted Mayor Frank Melton's scheme to use drug-seizure money to fund recent police salary raises. The administration proposed taking $192,101 from the $400,000 drug-forfeiture fund to preserve the Jackson Police Department finance division—which the approved 2008 budget dissolves—and to pay for more than $40,000 in combined salary increases for Melton's bodyguards Michael Recio and Marcus Wright.
Mississippi Loses Political Pioneer
Former Lt. Gov. Evelyn Gandy, 87, died Dec. 23 of complications of progressive supranuclear palsy, costing Mississippi one of its greatest political trailblazers. Gandy was the first woman in Mississippi—and the only one so far—elected to three statewide offices and one legislative position.
Making the GOP Nervous
Mississippi made national headlines May 6 when the state's first congressional district (MS-01) voted a new Democrat into office. Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers defeated Southaven Mayor Greg Davis in a May 13 special election runoff with a 57 percent majority.
Council Calls For Independent Attorney
Members of City Council say they are still stinging from being duped by their own attorney into paying her thousands of extra dollars.
D.A. to Mayor: ‘Bring It On'
Click here for a podcast of Attorney General Jim Hood's press conference about the D.A.-Mayor conflict.
Holding Water
Jackson Mayor Frank Melton said he would extend the city's water/sewer treatment contract with Severn Trent three years last week. The city's contract with Severn Trent expired last month, but Melton issued an executive order to keep operations running, and then extended the contract when the process to adopt a new treatment company stalled.
Barbour Pledges to Fund Education
Gov. Haley Barbour named K-12 education as a high priority in his state-of-the-state address Monday night, addressing budget shortfalls and upgrading the state's roads, but his overall message this year was frugal spending.
The 2009 JFP Interview with John Jones: 21st Century Man
John Jones is probably one of the most scientifically versed candidates to ever run for mayor of Jackson. Jones' resume is longer than some small-town Mississippi phone books, with experience in electronics training to field engineering, and from air-traffic control to RADAR engineering.