Rep. Justin Keen

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the State of Mississippi to issue general obligation bonds to help the City of Olive Branch fund repairs, renovations, and upgrades to the historic Maples Methodist Church building. The funds will be used to convert the church into a community events center and theater for public use. The State Bond Commission will manage the bond sale process, and the state pledges its full faith and credit to repay the bond principal and interest.

Maddy summaryHB 827, the "Rick Kennedy Act," requires that a person’s Mississippi hunting license be suspended if they cause injury or death to another person while hunting (using a firearm, bow, arrow, or other hunting weapon) and face criminal charges. The license remains suspended until the criminal case ends with dismissal, acquittal, or a not-guilty verdict. To reinstate the license after such an incident, the person must complete an approved hunter safety course, serve a one-year probation period, and appear before the wildlife commission. Law enforcement must notify the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks within 48 hours of the criminal charges being filed.

Maddy summaryHB 865 would reclassify kratom as a Schedule III controlled substance under Mississippi's Uniform Controlled Substances Law, removing it from its current unregulated status. This change would allow kratom to be prescribed by doctors for medical use (as Schedule III substances have accepted medical uses) while still requiring prescriptions and regulating its distribution. The bill directly affects Mississippi residents who use kratom, pharmacies dispensing it, and law enforcement handling related cases. Note: The bill title incorrectly references marijuana; this bill specifically addresses kratom, not cannabis.

Maddy summaryHB 825 revises Mississippi's death penalty procedures by requiring the Commissioner of Corrections, Deputy Commissioners for Finance and Institutions, the Public Safety Commissioner, and the county district attorney to select the execution method (lethal injection, nitrogen hypoxia, electrocution, or firing squad) through majority vote, with cost efficiency as a key factor in the decision. It designates lethal injection as the preferred method but mandates that cost considerations influence the choice, while also requiring confidentiality for execution team members, suppliers of lethal chemicals, and certain witnesses. The bill also grants legal immunity to participants acting in good faith during executions and clarifies that execution-related activities do not constitute the practice of medicine. These changes directly affect state officials responsible for administering executions and condemned individuals facing capital punishment.

Maddy summaryHB 1070 removes a prohibition that previously prevented the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) from providing security at two specific locations: the Mississippi Department of Agriculture building at 121 North Jefferson Street and the new Farmers Market Building at High and Jefferson Streets in Jackson. The bill authorizes DPS to post security personnel, conduct regular vehicle patrols, and respond to security system alarms at these properties through a contract with the Department of Agriculture. This is a procedural change to enable existing security services at these state-owned facilities, without altering broader security policies or affecting other entities.

Maddy summaryHB 1071 would authorize Mississippi's Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce to issue subpoenas for department hearings and require witnesses to appear or produce documents, with enforcement through circuit courts. It also allows the Bureau of Plant Industry to seek court-issued administrative inspection and search warrants when denied access to regulated facilities (like farms or agribusinesses), detailing how warrants must be obtained, executed, and documented. The bill specifies that warrants require probable cause showing a public interest in enforcement, must be served during business hours, and include strict procedures for seizing property and documenting inventory. This bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and would have directly affected licensed agricultural entities subject to the Bureau’s oversight.

Maddy summaryHB 1235, the "Mississippi Heroes Support Fund Act," would create a state fund to provide supplemental annual payments to qualified law enforcement officers. The fund would be financed by 50% of certain fines/assessments, donations, and interest, and distributed by December 31 each year to full-time certified officers with at least one year of service who are "in good standing" with their agency. A key requirement is that all law enforcement agencies must obtain accreditation from the Mississippi Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission by December 31, 2029, to qualify for fund distribution. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 1233 creates the Mississippi Heroes Support Fund, funded by an optional $100 fine from first-time speeding violators (who can choose to pay this extra fee instead of the standard fine to dismiss their ticket). The fund provides annual payments to eligible full-time certified law enforcement officers in Mississippi who have completed at least one year of service and are in good standing with their agencies. To qualify, officers must work for an agency accredited by the Mississippi Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission by December 31, 2029. The fund also accepts donations and earns interest, and it is structured as a special account that does not expire or lapse into the general state fund.

Maddy summaryHB 1363 increases the percentage of funds from the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund that the board of trustees and Department of Finance and Administration can use to cover their operational expenses. This change affects how the fund's administrative costs are managed, without altering the fund's primary purpose of supporting outdoor recreation and conservation projects. The bill specifically amends Section 49-39-7 to raise the allowable percentage for board expenses (currently capped at 3%). It is a procedural adjustment to administrative funding rules, not a policy change for conservation projects.

Maddy summaryHB 573 establishes a formal process for removing Mississippi school board members who commit misconduct, including intentional wrongdoing (malfeasance), improper conduct (misfeasance), failure to act (nonfeasance), neglect of duties, breach of public trust, or abuse of authority. It requires the school board to formally recommend removal to the local governing authority, which must hold a hearing with notice to the member, allow testimony, and vote by majority to approve removal. The bill specifically adds chronic absenteeism from board meetings as grounds for removal due to neglect of duties. An aggrieved party may appeal the governing authority’s decision to circuit court.