All results / Entries / ryannave
Legislature Quiet on Immigration, Abortion
The legislative session has not been without drama. But with the deadline to introduce general bills passing earlier this week, it seems like there have been relatively few bills related to traditional red-meat issues. Only one bill title mentions abortion and it was put forth by Rep. Nick Bain, D-Corinth. …
The Death Penalty for Statutory Rape?
Rep. John Moore, R-Brandon, has a bill that would require the death penalty in statutory rape cases where the victim is 13 years old or younger and when the defendant is 18 or older. Read the full text of Moore's House Bill 92 here.
Thompson Applauds House Farm Bill Vote
Here's the statement from the office of Congressman Bennie Thompson, a Democrat who represents the Mississippi Delta in the the U.S. House of Representatives, on today's vote in the House to pass a Farm Bill. WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02) released the following statement regarding his …
Finally, Jackson Getting New Belgium Beers
For the longest time, even though the alcohol content of New Belgium Brewing Co.'s flagship beer, Fat Tire Amber Ale, was low enough to be sold under Mississippi's draconian limits for beer, the company chose not to offer Fat Tire in the Magnolia State. If they couldn't sell all their …
Lawmakers Solve Huge Problems Facing the State by Adding 'In God We Trust' to Seal
Soon, Mississippi's worst-in-the-nation status for everything from obesity to gun deaths to 4th graders being able to spell their own names will be wiped away thanks to an effort now underway in the Legislature. This morning, the state Senate passed a bill to add the words "In God We Trust" …
Jackson Advocate: LaRita Cooper-Stokes Running for Hinds Judge
It hardly seems like yesterday that LaRita Cooper-Stokes was running for Ward 3 councilwoman and then running again when a judge ordered a new election, which she also won. But it wasn't yesterday. It was spring 2012, after Cooper-Stokes' husband, Kenneth, won a seat on the Hinds County Board of …
Happy Black Hist... Ahem, Voter ID Month!
Gov. Phil Bryant has proclaimed February as Voter Registration Month. He and fellow Republican Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann are urging Mississippi citizens to register to vote for upcoming party primaries--and not to forget their voter IDs. Mississippi's voter-ID law is scheduled to be in place for the June 3 …
Chamber Names Sales-Tax Commission Picks
Here's the full release from the Chamber: Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership Announces Commission Appointments With the recent passage of the Jackson Local Option Sales Tax Referendum, much needed work on Jackson’s infrastructure will be addressed. The next step to address the infrastructure issues is the creation of an Oversight Commission. …
Lumumba Services to Take Place Next Week
Services for late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba are scheduled for Saturday, March 8 at 11 a.m. at the Jackson Convention Center. There will be a wake on Friday, March 7 at City Hall, according to administration officials. Lumumba died Tuesday at St. Dominic's Hospital at the age of 66 with his …
Coroner: No Lumumba Autopsy Planned
Sharon Grisham-Stewart, the Hinds County coroner, told the Jackson Free Press this afternoon that she is not planning an autopsy for the late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba. Lumumba died Tuesday, Feb. 25, of what Grisham-Stewart has said were "natural causes," seven months into his first term as mayor of Jackson. Lumumba, …
Looks Like Melvin Priester Jr.'s in the Jackson Mayor's Race
We just received the following press release announcing a news conference for Ward 2 Councilman and City County President Melvin Priester Jr.: Jackson City Council President Melvin V. Priester, Jr., is scheduled to hold a press conference, Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 2:00 p.m., at Priester Law Firm, PLLC, 5375 …
Regina Quinn on Jackson Mayor's Race: "I'm in."
Attorney Regina Quinn, former general counsel for Jackson State University, confirms she's throwing her name in the growing hat of Jackson mayoral candidates. Quinn finished in fourth place in last year's Democratic mayoral primary. When the race came down to a runoff between then-Ward 2 Councilman Chokwe Lumumba and businessman …
Melvin Priester Jr. Announces Bid for Mayor's Seat
As if presenting to a jury, Melvin Priester Jr. paced in front of a bank of TV cameras as he made his opening argument — for his candidacy for mayor of Jackson. Priester broke with several other candidates whose announcements came at Jackson City Hall and held his first official …
Chokwe Antar Lumumba Caps Off Crazy Day of Mayoral Announcements
A campaign has several parts. First, especially, if you're an unknown candidate, you have to tell your story. Then, you have to talk about your big ideas. After that, you have to convince people that you're the best person to put those ideas into action.
Francis P. Smith Qualifies for Jackson Mayor's Race
Francis P. Smith Jr., pastor of Total Praise and Worship on Cedar Lane in south Jackson, has qualified for the race to be the next mayor of Jackson, information from the city clerk's office shows. Smith competed as an Independent in the June 2013 general election for mayor, which late …
Bennie Thompson is Backing Priester for Mayor, but Why?
Melvin Priester Jr. is getting support from the U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson—their campaign radio ads are even similar—who represents most of Jackson on the U.S. House of Representatives and is the only Democrat in the state's congressional delegation. It's an interesting turn of events, considering the following: Thompson was fairly …
West Jackson Hosts Mayoral Forum Thursday
From a Facebook post: The West Central Jackson Improvement Association (WCJIA) invites the public to attend the upcoming Mayoral Forum to hear candidates for Mayor discuss their vision for the City of Jackson. All candidates for Mayor of the City of Jackson are invited. The Forum will be held Thursday, …
Chapman, Priester, Yarber File Paperwork
Three more candidates have submitted paperwork to run in the April 8 special election for mayor of Jackson. Last week, the first to file their documents were Albert Wilson and Francis P. Smith — both of whom sought offices last year — and Kenneth Swarts. The latest information from municipal …
Jim Hood Orders 2 Executions then Defends U.S. Human Rights in Geneva
Last week, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood was in Geneva, Switzerland representing the U.S. before the United Nations Human Rights Committee. Hood, the only Democrat holding statewide office in Mississippi, serves as president-elect of the National Association of Attorneys General, and "responded to the committee’s questions concerning the death penalty, …
Harassment Suit Against JSU's Vivian Fuller Dismissed
Jackson State University released the following statement regarding the dismissal of a sexual harassment lawsuit against Athletic Director Vivian Fuller: U.S. District Judge William H. Barbour, Jr., on March 13 dismissed the sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Jackson State University, JSU Director of Athletics Dr. Vivian L. Fuller and JSU …