Category: News
[C-L] Judge asked to reconsider voter ID decision
According to the Clarion Ledger, Attorney General Jim Hood along with the NAACP and the Mississippi Republican Party have requested that the federal judge reconsider his voter ID decision.
Posted by kate at 12:52 PM on 06/26/07. Discuss (1)
[C-L]Mixed feelings about voter ID ruling
At the Mississippi Press Association’s summer convention, candidates were questioned regarding their feelings on the new voter ID requirement. The Republican candidates for governor and lt. governor approve of the federal judge’s ruling to require voter identification at the polls. However, the Democratic candidates for these offices do not feel the same. Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Arthur Eaves Jr., along with other Democratic candidates, feels that the new law will intimidate many potential voters.
Posted by kate at 10:37 AM on 06/26/07. Discuss (0)
[S-H]Conservative group promotes limited government
The Mississippi Center for Public Policy, a nonprofit conservative group, mailed 5,000 copies of its booklet, “Governing by Principle,” to Mississippi candidates urging them to support the concept of limited government. The group’s hope is that a conversation about appropriate limitations of government will ensue.
Posted by kate at 01:17 PM on 06/21/07. Discuss (1)
[S-H]Chief sends letter to Choctaw voters
Chief Phillip Martin sent a letter to Choctaw voters this past week that said his opponent in the July 3 runoff election is being backed by those who want to keep the tribe from opening a casino in Jackson County. However, his opponent Beasley Denson says otherwise.
Posted by kate at 01:08 PM on 06/21/07. Discuss (1)
[C-L]Mississippians protest Lott’s push for immigration bill
According to the Clarion Ledger, protest escalates as Lott continues to push for Senate votes in favor of a controversial immigration bill. Lott, who the article names “the second most powerful Republican in the state,” has promised to lobby Republicans to support the bill. The bill would toughen the security at the U.S.-Mexico border and offer a process for illegal immigrants to live legally in the U.S.
Posted by kate at 10:55 AM on 06/20/07. Discuss (0)
[C-L]Ridgeland passes smoking ban
It looks like Ridgeland will be smoke-free in 30 days thanks to a unanimous vote to pass an ordinance to ban smoking. This comes a year after Starkville passed a smoking ban, marking itself the first of the state’s major municipalities to approve a citywide smoking ban. Others include Hattiesburg, Tupelo and Oxford.
Posted by kate at 10:49 AM on 06/20/07. Discuss (0)
[C-L]JPS will start out 2007-08 school year with $220 million balanced budget
The school board approved the budget on Monday night after giving a no-go to budget requests that included raises for non-teaching staff members. The primary reasons for the largest increases were benefits and mandated salary hikes, including a 3 percent salary increase for teachers.
Posted by kate at 10:20 AM on 06/19/07. Discuss (1)
[S-H]Miss. Supreme Court rules against diverting tobacco money to Partnership
The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that if Mississippi wants an anti-tobacco program, the Legislature must provide funding. Former Attorney General Mike Moore’s appeal of a 2006 order that decreased funding to the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi was rejected by the justices in a 6-1 decision.
Posted by kate at 11:33 AM on 06/15/07. Discuss (1)
[C-L]Attorney General files suit against Barbour over youth grants
On Thursday, June 15, Attorney General Jim Hood filed suit against Gov. Haley Barbour for his decision to slice $5.5 million in grants for youth groups such as the state YMCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mississippi and Boys and Girls Clubs of Mississippi. Barbour, who vetoed a bill back in April that would direct Hood’s office to spend the money on these groups, explained that the Department of Human Services should be who gives money to these youth groups. The Attorney General and Democratic legislators Sen. Gray Tollison of Oxford and Rep. Joe Warren of Mount Olive filed the lawsuit in the Hinds County Chancery Court. According to Hood and the legislators, the suit is about preserving a separation of power in the state government. However, Barbour’s spokesman Pete Smith was quoted in the article as saying, “He [Barbour] has always supported the work of the Boys and Girls Clubs and the YMCA.”
Posted by kate at 11:07 AM on 06/15/07. Discuss (0)
[C-L]Taxpayers to pay for Melton’s trial expenses?
According to the Clarion Ledger, the city attorney’s office maintains that Jackson taxpayers are responsible for reimbursing Frank Melton for the money he spent on legal fees during his trial. However, the City Council must approve the decision to make taxpayers pay for these costs. Melton was charged with felony malicious mischief, conspiracy, burglary and directing a minor to commit a felony but was found not guilty on all charges.
The trial cost taxpayers more than $18,000. The county spent $12,240.92 to feed and house the jury, Circuit Clerk Barbara Dunn calculated. Special Judge Joe Webster submitted about $4,200 in expenses to the state Supreme Court. The retired judge from Clarksdale was tapped to hear the case when Hinds County’s circuit judges removed themselves.
Also, it cost the city $2,500 to construct barricades around courthouse during the trial.
Four council members, including President Ben Allen, polled on Tuesday, said they needed lots of details before speculating on whether they would vote to pay the bills.
“I am not willing to say right now as one council member that we’re going to automatically pay the legal fees of the bodyguards because I personally have some questions about that,” said Councilman Leslie McLemore of Ward 2. “And I want to make sure that all of my questions are answered and fully explored.”
Posted by kate at 10:43 AM on 06/06/07. Discuss (0)
[C-L]JPS must make a decision regarding how to pay for additional expenses for the 2006-07 year
Along with figuring out how to pay for additional expenses from the prior school year, JPS must also decide how to cut down the 2007-08 budget by around $2.2 million before the final budget is approved. JPS executive director of finance Sharolyn Miller says the rise in costs is coming from benefits and mandated salary increases.
Jackson Public Schools is expected to tap its $18 million of reserves in coming weeks to the tune of more than $3.7 million to pay for additional expenses during the 2006-07 school year.
Within the same time, the board also has to figure out how to trim 2007-08 budget requests by about $2.2 million before it finalizes the new budget.
The board has two options: Cut the money to meet the district’s $220 million revenue stream or plan on using some of the district’s reserves before the end of the next fiscal year.
Posted by kate at 11:44 AM on 06/05/07. Discuss (0)
[C-L]Bush Responds to Critics of the New Immigration Bill
After opponents of the immigration deal criticized the law for being too soft on illegal immigrants, Bush spoke at the nation’s largest training center for law enforcement, emphasizing the fact that these new options would not be instituted until a more stringent security is in place. He also asked the public to “do what’s right for America” by being patient and letting the government attempt to fix immigration problems.
The bill would give temporary legal status to millions of unlawful immigrants, provided they came forward, paid a fine and underwent criminal background checks. To apply for a green card, they would have to pay another fine, learn English, return to their home country and wait in line.
The plan also would create a guest worker program. It would allow foreign laborers to come to the U.S. for temporary stints, yet with no guarantee they can eventually gain citizenship.
Both the new visa plan and the temporary worker program are contingent on other steps coming first. Those include fencing and barriers along the Mexico border, the hiring of more Border Patrol agents and the completion of an identification system to verify employees’ legal status.
The legislation would also reshape future immigration decisions. A new point system would prioritize skills and education over family in deciding who can immigrate.
Posted by kate at 01:34 PM on 05/29/07. Discuss (0)
[C-L]David Rubenstein Says President Bush’s Sanctions on Sudan are “Too Little, Too Late”
President Bush ordered sanctions on Sudan in order to pressure the government to cease the crisis in Darfur. The sanctions target 30 government-run oil companies and three leaders, one of whom is suspected of being involved in the bloodshed in Darfur. Along with the sanctions, Bush has ordered Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to compose a proposed United Nations decision to strengthen worldwide pressure on the Sudanese government.
Save Darfur Coalition director David Rubenstein welcomed the sanctions, but said they might be too little, too late.
“President Bush must not give further months to determine whether these outlines measures work - the Darfuri people don’t have that much time,” he said. “The president must set a short and firm deadline for fundamental changes in Sudanese behavior, and prepare now to implement immediately further measures should Khartoum continue to stonewall.”
Bush said he delayed imposing sanctions last month to allow more time for diplomacy, but that al-Bashir has continued to make empty promises of cooperation while obstructing international efforts to end the crisis.
“One day after I spoke, they bombed a meeting of rebel commanders designed to discuss a possible peace deal with the government.,” the president said. “In the following weeks he used his army and government-sponsored militias to attack rebels and civilians in south Darfur. He’s taken no steps to disarm these militias in the year since the Darfur peace agreement was signed. Senior officials continue to oppose the deployment of the U.N. peacekeeping force.
“The result is that the dire security situation on the ground in Darfur has not changed,” Bush said.
Posted by kate at 11:56 AM on 05/29/07. Discuss (1)
[C-L]Obama Introduces a New Universal Health Care Plan
2008 presidential candidate Barack Obama introduced a health care plan that “would provide every citizen a means for coverage and calls on government, businesses and consumers to share the costs of the program.” According to Obama, the implementation of his plan would provide health care to all people and save each consumer an average of $2,500 a year. The estimated cost of the program is anywhere from $50 billion to $65 billion and would be made possible by eliminating the tax cuts for the wealthy that were executed by President Bush.
“We have reached a point in this country where the rising costs of health care has put too many families and businesses on a collision course with financial ruin and left too many with no coverage at all,” Obama said. “This cost crisis is trapping us in a vicious cycle.”
Obama’s plan retains the private insurance system but injects additional money to pay for expanding coverage. It would also create a National Health Insurance Exchange to monitor insurance companies in offering the coverage.
Those who can’t afford coverage would get a subsidy on a sliding scale depending on their income, and virtually all businesses would have to share in the cost of coverage for their workers. The plan is similar to the one covering members of Congress.
Obama’s package would prohibit insurance companies from refusing coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
“My plan begins by covering every American. If you already have health insurance, the only thing that will change for you under this plan is that the amount of money you will spend on premiums will be less,” Obama said. “If you are one of 45 million Americans who don’t have health insurance, you will after this plan becomes law.”
Posted by kate at 11:43 AM on 05/29/07. Discuss (3)
[C-L]Supreme Court to Hear Arguments from Death Row Inmate Today
The Clarion Ledger reports:
Seven years ago, 16-year-old Leesa Gray of Itawamba County disappeared while returning home from her job as a waitress. The next day her body was found dead in former Marine recruiter Thomas E. Loden Jr.’s van. Loden was sentenced to 30 years in prison on kidnapping and rape accounts, and is now appealing his conviction for murder. The Mississippi Supreme Court will hear arguments today from the death row inmate who served as a Marine during Operation Desert Storm and as a recruiter later in life.
Among the evidence presented was video footage, allegedly made by Loden, of the acts being committed on Gray. The videotape was not viewed during the hearing, but previously had been viewed by the trial judge and attorneys for the prosecution and defense.
According to the court record, Lodens face was not visible on the tapes. His feet, arms and legs were visible and his voice could be heard, prosecutors said.
Defense attorneys had argued that LodenҒs confession was given without the benefit of legal counsel. The trial judge ruled the confession could be used by prosecutors.
Posted by kate at 11:29 AM on 05/29/07. Discuss (1)
