16 Mar Charter school forum showcases Jackson County legislators’ opposing views

Posted at March 16, 2013 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

GulfLive.com April M. Havens GAUTIER, Mississippi - A forum on Mississippi's proposed charter school legislation, hosted by Trinity Outreach Corp., drew about 40 people and many questions Saturday morning. The event, held at Gautier's Singing River Elementary, featured local legislators and a Mississippi Center for Justice attorney with...

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15 Mar Alternative Spring Break is a work party on the Coast

Posted at March 15, 2013 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

Sun Herald Mary Perez BILOXI -- Mary Davis didn't expect to spend a week at the beach when she signed up for Alternative Spring Break. While some of her classmates are partying on tropical beaches, she and 62 students from colleges across the country spent their spring break...

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14 Mar Residents, business owners get valuable info at Moss Point economic, housing fair

Posted at March 14, 2013 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

GulfLive.com Vivian Austin MOSS POINT, Mississippi -- A steady flow of residents and business owners streamed through Pelican Landing Conference Center for the first combined Community Economic and Housing Development Fair on Wednesday. Twenty businesses, banks, and federal, state and city agencies provided information and advice to...

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10 Mar A forum by Reilly Morse: Nearly 30,000 Coast workers could qualify for Medicaid

Posted at March 10, 2013 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

Sun HeraldAs more and more states move forward with Medicaid expansion, Mississippi is increasingly being left behind. As part of health care reform, states have the option of expanding access to Medicaid, the joint state-federal program that provides health insurance to the poor. This expansion is...

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22 Feb Merchant named to school board

Posted at February 22, 2013 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

Published in the Delta Democrat Times Sarah Kramer GREENVILLE — The Greenville City Council appointed Kimberly Merchant to the five-member Greenville Public School District Board of Trustees during their meeting Tuesday. Members voted 4-2, with Ward 3 Councilwoman Carolyn Weathers and Ward 5 Councilwoman Ann Hollowell voting to...

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04 Feb Expanding Medicaid would improve state’s health, economy

Posted at February 04, 2013 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

Published in the Clarion Ledger Linda Rigsby We have reached a policy crossroads and can opt for one of two paths: We can deny working families access to the care they need, or we can extend Medicaid benefits to newly-eligible residents to spur job growth and ensure...

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30 Jan Sandy spurs talk of legal assistance disaster fund

Posted at January 30, 2013 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

New Orleans City Business Maria Clark, staff writer Martha Bergmark, founding president of the Mississippi Center for Justice, is on a mission. She’s currently trying to raise awareness that money should be in place at the national level for legal services in the aftermath of a natural...

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28 Jan Center for Justice: Bryant lacks real awareness of health care needs

Posted at January 28, 2013 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

Published in the Mississippi Business Journal Gov. Phil Bryant’s pronouncement last week that hospital emergency room access ensures that all Mississippians have health care reflects a poor understanding of how healthcare works for many of the state’s families, the Mississippi Center for Justice says Replying to Bryant’s...

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17 Jan South Mississippi nonprofits help break the cycle of debt

Posted at January 17, 2013 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

Sun Herald Priscilla Loebenberg GULFPORT -- Local nonprofits and volunteers got a preview Wednesday at the Knight Nonprofit Center of a new campaign to help educate those in financial difficulty on the pitfalls of payday loans and predatory lenders. The campaign began with a $50,000 grant from the...

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26 Dec BankPlus takes on Mississippi payday lenders

Posted at December 26, 2012 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

Published in American Banker Magazine Laura Thompson Osuri As the operators of a community bank in the state with the most payday lenders per capita (32 for every 100,000 people), executives at BankPlus in Belzoni, Miss., are characteristically appalled at the exorbitant rates that payday lenders charge. But...

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