Legislative Update 65

January 23, 2010

Dear Friend,

Join the Fight Against Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a problem that doesn’t care where you live, how much money you make or the color of your skin. Every day, Mississippi families from all walks of life are held hostage by violence in the home. If we want to have any hope of stamping out this serious crime, we all have to join the fight.

This year the Mississippi legislature will consider a variety of bills aimed at stopping domestic violence and assisting victims. I’m proud to be a part of a coalition of Representatives and Senators who are pushing measures that will strengthen Mississippi’s weak anti-stalking law, prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to victims, allow the court system to use GPS monitoring devices to keep criminals from continually harassing their victims, and protect individuals in the workplace.

To mark National Stalking Awareness Month, several of us have planned a press conference at the capitol at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. I’d love to see you there as we discuss ways we can improve life for families across Mississippi. If you can’t make it, please register your interest in these bills by contacting your friends in the legislature and letting them know that you expect their support as these measures make their way through the process.

Of course, if we want to achieve true success in our effort to stop domestic violence it will take more than the passage of well intentioned laws. We must change the culture of violence in Mississippi. This means men and women have to become more vocal about the ill effects of violence in the home. On Thursday, I met with a group of men from the Jackson area who are determined to join this effort. As we approach father’s day, I would like to see groups like this pop up across Mississippi. Husbands, fathers, brothers and sons need to find their voice on this issue and teach our young men how to be real men in the home.

I want to hear from you if you are interested in taking an active role in addressing domestic violence. Together we can make a safer Mississippi.

How To Contact Me

As always, I invite you to call me on my cell phone at 228-326-7649 or e-mail me at bjones@house.ms.gov. For real time updates, you can also follow me on Twitter under the user name "brandoncjones". If you haven't heard of Twitter, you can check out my page at http://twitter.com/brandoncjones or by following the link on my website. 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.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve,

Brandon