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Proposed School Board Election Changes Dead by Bipartisan Vote
In a bipartisan shutdown, Sen. Kevin Blackwell's bill to change school-board elections statewide died in the Mississippi Legislature on Monday.
Proposed Gun Law Would Allow Lawsuits over Conceal-Carry Laws
Mississippians with enhanced concealed-carry licenses, who are required to take an instructional course on firearms training before they receive their license, could file a lawsuit against public entities, like state agencies or universities, with policies limiting their right to carry a gun if House Bill 1083 becomes state law.
Jackson Schools Start New Schedule Monday to Make Up Missed School Days
Jackson Public Schools students missed seven days of school in January after freezing temperatures caused more than 200 water main breaks throughout the city.
Surprise! House Targets Attorney General Jim Hood Again
Rep. Mark Baker, R-Brandon, is consistent at least. His annual trip to the podium to limit Attorney General Jim Hood—the only Democrat in a statewide elected office—went well for him this week.
'Anti-Gang' Bills: One Alive As Experts Warn About Downside
Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, did not want to debate the "anti-gang" bill for long this morning, and after about half an hour, he tabled House Bill 541, noting that the Senate had already passed its version of the legislation.
Ed Department Awards 90 Vouchers in a Lottery After Some Went Unused
The Mississippi Department of Education held a lottery for 90 unused vouchers in the current school year as the Legislature could debate this afternoon whether to expand the program beyond special-education students to all children in the state.
Funding the ‘School Choice’ Lobby
In just one year, the Mississippi Legislature has gone from slightly tweaking its voucher program for students with dyslexia to a push to allow any public-school student to apply for a taxpayer-funded voucher to use at a private school.
15-Week Abortion Ban Moves Ahead
Abortion would be illegal after 15 weeks in Mississippi if a bill the House of Representatives passed late Friday becomes law.
Equal Pay Included in Bill Prohibiting Cities from Raising Minimum Wage
An equal pay amendment is included in a bill the Mississippi House of Representatives passed this morning prohibiting cities from raising the state minimum wage.
Vicksburg, Wingfield, Lanier High Schools Top 'Chronically Absent' List
More than 70,000 students were chronically absent in the 2016-2017 school year, chronic absentee data the Mississippi Department of Education released today show.
House Passes Equal Pay Amendment, But Its Future Is Unclear
The Mississippi House of Representatives was expecting a leisurely Friday, but when Rep. Mark Baker, R-Brandon, took up House Bill 1241 this morning, things got interesting.
What Legislation Is Still Alive; What's Dead at the Capitol
Lawmakers have about a week to pass hundreds of bills out of each chamber, after committee chairmen and women made their first round of cuts to proposed legislation this year.
Cops Learn to Help Mentally Ill Mississippians
The celebration was small, but the impact is likely to be large. On Friday, Jan. 26, nine local law enforcement officers who work in Hinds County graduated from week-long mental-health training to help them on the job.
An Immigration Fight on Multiple Fronts
The City of Jackson's anti-profiling ordinance will stay on the books, as far as Chokwe A. Lumumba is concerned.
'Nonpartison' School-board Election Reform on Legislative Agenda
Sen. Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven, has introduced legislation to standardize all school-board elections for districts that already elect school-board members.
'Anti-Gang' Bill Heads to Full House to Expand Policing Powers
Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, called the "Mississippi Anti-Gang Act" one of the most significant pieces of legislation the Legislature could pass in 2018. The bill would make "criminal gang activity" a separate offense from any underlying misdemeanor or felony a person is accused of if prosecutors can prove they are gang members.
Re-entry Reform Hits Wall, But Kids No Longer Face Death Penalty
Rep. Joel Bomgar, R-Madison, had a tough time convincing the House Corrections Committee to pass additional re-entry criminal-justice reforms on Wednesday, Jan. 24.
What’s in ‘UPS’ Ed Formula, What’s Not?
The Mississippi House Education Chairman, Rep. Richard Bennett, R-Long Beach, repeatedly told House members that the Mississippi Adequate Education Program is too complicated to understand and not reliable for school districts last week.
University Funding Cuts Prompt Talk of Tuition Hikes, Consolidation
Most of the state's public university and college presidents crowded into the Mississippi House of Representatives' appropriations room on Monday with a united message.
Vouchers Could Extend to Any Public School Student Under New Bill
Just before Gov. Phil Bryant declared Jan. 21-27 "School Choice Week," Sen. Gray Tollison's, R-Oxford, voucher-expansion bill dropped. The legislation would vastly expand the use of vouchers—a way to use taxpayer money in public schools—beyond the limited special-education role they currently plan.