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Law Enforcement Officers Disability
Trust Fund
- PASSED
SB-2559 Author of bill: Senator
Gray Tollison Oxford, Ms. District 9
HB-1155 Author of bill: Rep. Eric Robinson Quitman,
Ms District 84
Officers injured in the line of duty resulting in disability
will be eligible for a benefit of 34% of their base salary for
up to 12 months. This benefit shall be in addition to any
Workers Compensation benefits. The combination of this benefit
and that of Workers Compensation benefits should provide most
officers with 100% of their base salary during the benefit
period.
The trust fund and assessment becomes effective July 1, 2005.
The effective date of benefits will be July 1, 2006. The
effective date of benefits was deferred for one year, allowing
time for the fund to become solvent by means of the money
collected through assessments.
This legislation was introduced by Senator Gray Tollison of
Oxford, Ms and Representative Eric Robinson of Quitman, Ms in
both the Senate and House of Representatives during the 2005
session at the request of PBA. This legislation ultimately
passed the Senate and House of Representatives with unanimous
votes. It has since been signed into law by the Governor. The
legislation establishes a trust fund from which disability
benefits will be paid. The trust fund will be funded from a
$1.00 assessment on all citations and criminal fines.
At Will Employment - State Employees - DIES ON
HOUSE CALENDAR
SB-2745...... Author of bill: Senator
Alan Nunnelee District 6
Co-Author: Senator Terry
Burton District 31
HB-1372 Author of bill: Rep Gary Chism
District 37
SB-2460 Author of bill: Senator Terry Burton
District 31
PBA Opposed all of these bills. Each of the bills contained
language which would remove most state personnel ( all state law
enforcement officers) from under the State Personnel Board,
essentially making them “AT WILL” employees. None of these bills
passed the legislative session. However Senate bill 2745 (as
amended) did pass the Senate and was sent to the House for
consideration. The bill made it through the committee process
and was on the House calendar to be called for a vote of the
full House. The bill was not call for vote before the deadline
and therefore died on the House Calendar. It appears that an
attempt will be made again in future sessions to pass this
legislation. PBA WILL OPPOSE SUCH LEGISLATION.
PBA does not condone nor support misconduct by law enforcement
officers. We recognize the need for discipline and the
administration of appropriate disciplinary action when
misconduct occurs. However, at the same time there must also be
a fair and impartial process in place by which misconduct is
determined and disciplinary action is administered. Therefore we
will continue to oppose any legislation that will take away the
administrative due process rights of Law enforcement officers as
these bills would have..
Administrative Due Process Rights for Municipal Law Enforcement
Officers - DIES IN HOUSE MUNICIPALITIES COMMITTEE
HB-490 Author of bill: Rep. Eric
Robinson, Quitman Ms. District 84
SB2133 Author of bill: Sen. Gray Tollison, Oxford,
Ms District 9
Each of these bills would have provided basic due process rights
for municipal law enforcement officers in administrative
actions. Such rights included written notification of proposed
disciplinary action giving the reason for such action, and
notification of right to appeal. The right to a fair and
impartial hearing, to have legal representation at own expense,
and to cross examine any witness testifying against you. The
authors of these bills understand both the need for and the
fairness of such legislation
Special
Attention Please.........................................
HB-490 died in the House Municipalities Committee. SB-2133
passed the Senate, was sent to the House for consideration,
where it also died in the House Municipalities Committee.
This is the second consecutive year this due process legislation
has been killed in the House Municipalities Committee. For your
knowledge and appropriate action the chairman and members of
this committee are named below
Chairman ....Rep. Walter L. Robinson, Jr. Bolton Ms, District 63
Vice Chair....Rep. Cecil Brown Jackson Ms District 66
Members.....Rep Brian Aldridge Tupelo, Ms District 17
Willie L Bailey Greenville, Ms District 49
Lee Jarrell Davis Hattiesburg, Ms District
102
Bill Denny Jackson, Ms District 64
Reecy L. Dickson Macon, Ms District 42
Eugene Forrest Hamilton Olive Branch, Ms
District 6
Gregory L. Holloway Sr. Hazlehurst, Ms
District 76
Michael Janus Biloxi, Ms District 117
Rita Martinson Madison, Ms District 58
John Mayo Clarksdale, Ms District 25
Leonard Morris Batesville, Ms District 11
David Myers McComb, Ms District 98
Greg Snowden Meridian, Ms District 83
Mary Ann Stevens West, Ms District 48
Henry B. (Hank) Zuber Ocean Springs, Ms
Dist 113
Law Enforcement Standards and
Training Board - DIES IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
HB-486 Author of bill: Rep. Eric
Robinson Quitman,Ms District 84
This legislation would have place the President of Mississippi
PBA or his designee on the Law Enforcement Standards and
Training Board. The bill died in the House Judiciary B
Committee. PBA has requested this legislation because currently
there are no members of the Training council which represent the
training perspectives of the rank and file officers. Rank and
file officers are the ones who receive the training prescribed
by the board and must then utilized that training in actual
application. Due to this, the perspective of these officers can
be very beneficial in determining new training needs or changes
needed in existing training.
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