WASHINGTON, July 13 -- The law firm Watkins & Eager of Jackson, Mississippi, submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Department of Justice opposing the State of Mississippi's certification application under Chapter 154 of Title 28 of the U.S. Code. This statute allows states to receive expedited federal habeas corpus review of death penalty cases if they provide adequate and competent counsel during state post-conviction proceedings. The letter, authored by Caroline K. Ivanov on behalf o  more

LOS ANGELES, California, July 11 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary by policy analyst Steven Gassenberger: * * * Louisianians were right to reject a constitutional amendment to raise teacher pay. Now, a new state task force should finish the job. Amendment 3 was sold to voters as a teacher pay raise and a pension fix. It was neither. - Louisiana voters soundly rejected all five constitutional amendments on the May 16 ballot, including, for the second time, a scheme to  more

WASHINGTON, July 12 -- Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, issued the following news release: * * * Senator Wicker Remembers Senator Lindsey Graham * Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss, released the following statement in remembrance of Senator Lindsey Graham, R-SC. "There are no words to describe Lindsey Graham, my friend of more than three decades. There are no words to describe his impact on the foreign and domestic policy of the United States. Lindsey served his beloved country in uniform and   more