Brandon Jones for House District 111

August 11, 2008

Dear Friends,

Graham Update

On Monday, following a Medicaid meeting with leaders of the House and Senate, I spoke with Governor Barbour regarding his decision to suspend the sentence of Michael Graham. During our brief conversation, I explained that our area was extremely upset with this decision and asked if we could discuss the situation in greater detail at some point. To his credit, Governor Barbour said that he would be willing to talk further about this issue. During our conversation, I also explained that the petition, signed by members of Adrienne Klasky’s graduating class, contained remarks by several irate friends of Ms. Klasky. I told him that I didn’t want to drop the petition off with his office without preparing him for these pointed remarks.

On Wednesday, I returned to Jackson and delivered the petition along with a letter. While I intend to keep the contents of the letter private, I do want you to know that in the letter I asked Governor Barbour to revoke Mr. Graham’s suspension and explained that I would be available for a meeting at a time and place of the Governor’s choosing.

While I was in Jackson, I submitted three bills for drafting. The first bill would be a constitutional amendment that would disallow any governor from pardoning, suspending the sentence, or commuting the sentence of any murderer. The second bill would require any governor considering the premature release of a convict to contact the sheriff’s department and district attorney’s office in the county where the crime occurred. The bill would also require the governor’s office to hold a public hearing in the county where the crime occurred. The third bill would make murderers ineligible for the trusty program.

During the course of dealing with this issue, I have met numerous people who deal with victim’s issues on a daily basis. In the course of talking with these individuals, I have learned a great deal about the blind spots in our laws and intend to continue this education process before returning to Jackson for the 2009 session. I invite your comments on this issue and will let you know where this process leads.

Medicaid Update

With the legislature on the sideline, it appears the next round in the Medicaid fight will take place in the court system. On Friday, nearly 40 Mississippi hospitals filed court papers arguing that the Governor’s new plan for addressing the Medicaid shortfall violates state and federal law. These hospitals have not legally challenged the Governor’s proposal but a lawsuit appears to be in the offing.

Special Session Summary

The following is a recap of the bills that were passed during the Special Session:

• HB 1 extends the life of the State Department of Employment Security through 2010;
• HB 3 authorizes MDOT and cities and counties to design and operate toll roads and/or to contract with companies for such projects. The bill is intended to move forward the construction of a toll road connecting downtown Jackson and the Jackson/Evers Airport;
• HB 12 revises the definition of “project” under the Mississippi Major Economic Impact Act and authorizes $88 million in bonds for the Bio-Lab project at Flora in Madison County, Mississippi;
• HB 19 authorizes the City of Amory to issue $5 million in bonds for a steel rebar plant. The company would repay the bonds with in-lieu payments to the city and county;
• HB 21 facilitates the development of Farrish Street in downtown Jackson;
• SB 2011 increases the maximum amount of weekly unemployment benefits from $210 to $230 as of July 1, 2008, and to $235 on July 1, 2009; and
• House Resolution 26 urges the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide “ice” to victims of natural disasters and to not classify ice as a “luxury item” as it did after Hurricane Katrina.

Metal Theft Bill

As many of you know, during the Special Session, the legislature passed SB 2006, a measure that revised the “metal theft bill” vetoed by Governor Barbour. This bill would require check or electronic transfer transactions between buyers and sellers of copper and other metals and mandate that scrap dealers register with the Secretary of State’s office.

This bill is an important crime fighting tool for our state’s police officers. Metal theft has ballooned into a billion dollar industry and caused significant damage to numerous businesses and individuals. A sad example of metal theft in our area occurred in April when 200 copper cases were stolen from a local cemetery.

U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate granted a temporary stay on the new law until Wednesday citing “numerous questions of law.” It is my hope that these questions will be quickly resolved so that we can set about the business of slowing down metal theft in Mississippi.

How to Contact Me

If you have any questions or concerns, I invite you to call me on my cell phone at 228-326-7649 or e-mail me at bjones@house.ms.gov. Please feel free to forward this report to folks in our district and let me know if I need to add someone to my list.

I will also be posting my updates and House related news on my campaign website at www.electbrandonjones.com.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Brandon