Jackson Free Press

Five of the Attorney General Jim Hood's key legislative bills are now headed to the Governor for his signature.



"We pushed this legislation because we saw the need for these laws," said Attorney General Hood. "We appreciate the bi-partisan support we've received from lawmakers to get these on the books."



The AG bills now on the Governor's desk are:



HB552-makes online impersonation a misdemeanor offense.



"Mississippi is really ahead of the curve with the passage of this bill," said Attorney General Hood. "This really addresses a problem we see with folks who create Facebook pages in someone else's name and pose as that person, doing a world of harm to the victims of the postings plus the reputation of the "owner" of the page. This law will help deter such cyber-bullying."



HB561-includes vulnerable persons in kidnapping statute.



"We've seen cases where the vulnerable person was oblivious to their plight in these situations," said Attorney General Hood. "This law gives an added layer of protection to those who can't help themselves."



HB562-makes third misdemeanor abuse of vulnerable person within five years a felony.



"This bill adds some much needed heat to the current misdemeanor statute,"said Attorney General Hood.



HB784- allow for the seizure and forfeiture of property, both real and personal, used in forfeiture proceedings, while providing due process to lien holders and parties with security interests.  The law also provides a method for the disposition of seized property and proceeds.



"This law just shores up some technicalities for our law enforcement who are fighting to get dangerous counterfeit goods off the streets," said Attorney General Hood.



SB 2810 adds certain prescription drugs to controlled substances list.




"These highly dangerous and addictive prescription pain killers and muscle relaxers will now be recognized as the potential killers they are," said Attorney General Hood.



Also awaiting the Governor's signature is HB 1205 which adds cathinone derivatives (marketed as "bath salts") to the list of Schedule I substances.



The Governor has already signed another AG Bill into law. SB2426 makes it a misdemeanor for someone to prevent a victim from seeking emergency medical or law enforcement assistance.

Previous Comments

ID

162526

Comment

The last should be a felony, in my opinion. If someone prevents a victim from seeking emergency medical services, the person could die. Will the law still consider a death in this case a misdemeanor?

Author

justjess

Date

2011-03-13T16:29:22-06:00