Maddy summaryThis Mississippi legislative resolution formally requests the U.S. Congress to convene a constitutional convention under Article V specifically to propose limits on how many terms members of Congress can serve. The bill affects only the state of Mississippi by submitting its application as one of the required two-thirds of state legislatures needed to trigger the national convention process. It does not create new laws or change current term limits but instead initiates a procedural step toward potentially amending the U.S. Constitution. The resolution specifies that this application covers only congressional term limits and will be combined with similar applications from other states once enough states have submitted requests.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill restores the right to vote to Omar Eugene Magee of Covington County, Mississippi, who had previously lost his voting rights due to criminal convictions. The legislation specifically addresses his disqualification stemming from a 1978 grand larceny conviction and subsequent sentences for burglary and drug delivery offenses, noting that he completed all terms and conditions of his sentences. By passing this act, the Mississippi Legislature formally reinstates Magee's eligibility to participate in elections, recognizing his conduct as a law-abiding citizen since his release in 2008. The measure takes effect immediately upon passage and does not alter any broader voting laws or affect other individuals.
Maddy summaryThis bill restores the right to vote to Jared Scott Drennan of Covington County, Mississippi, who had previously been disqualified from voting due to a felony conviction. The legislation states that Drennan has completed his probation and parole terms and has since behaved as a law-abiding citizen. By passing this act, the Mississippi Legislature removes the voting ban that was in place since 2007 when he was originally sentenced for grand larceny. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage and does not change any other voting laws or affect other individuals.
Maddy summaryThis bill restores the right to vote to Christopher Preston, a resident of Covington County, Mississippi, who was previously disqualified from voting in 1995 due to convictions for burglary and forgery. The legislation states that Preston has served his prison sentence, completed his release on May 1, 2000, and has since lived as a law-abiding citizen. By passing this act, the Mississippi Legislature would remove the voting ban that was applied following his criminal convictions. The bill would take effect immediately upon passage and does not alter any existing laws regarding voting rights for other individuals.
Maddy summaryHB 538 prohibits Mississippi state and local governments, including public schools and universities, from adopting policies that interfere with federal immigration enforcement. It requires all government entities to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, share information about immigration status when requested, and comply with immigration detainer requests. Violations could lead to legal action against the government entity, as the law waives sovereign immunity for such cases. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
Maddy summaryThis bill is a House Resolution that formally commends and congratulates Christopher Price Newman on his retirement from law enforcement. The resolution recognizes his decades of distinguished service across multiple agencies in Mississippi, including the Mississippi Department of Revenue, where he served as Chief of the Criminal Investigation Division. It highlights his career achievements, such as securing significant convictions in fraud, tax evasion, and timber theft cases, as well as his leadership roles and certifications. The document serves as an official acknowledgment of his contributions to public safety and law enforcement in the state.
Maddy summaryHB 858 prohibits voting machines (OMR equipment) from establishing wireless connections during elections, requiring them to be incapable of such connectivity while in use. This directly affects Mississippi counties purchasing voting systems through the state's Voting Modernization Grant Program, which funds equipment meeting this new standard. The bill amends existing law to require that all voting systems used after January 1, 2024, cannot have wireless capabilities during elections, though hardware enabling wireless may remain if disabled during voting. Counties must comply with this requirement when applying for grant funds to buy or upgrade voting equipment.
Maddy summaryThis Mississippi bill would change absentee ballot rules for federal elections if the U.S. Supreme Court rules that federal laws override state laws on mail-in voting. Under the new rules, all absentee ballots would need to be received by election day rather than postmarked by election day, and voters without disabilities or age 65+ would need to mark their ballots in front of a registrar who must stay in their office. The bill also requires that ballots be sent only through the U.S. Postal Service or approved carriers like UPS and FedEx, and maintains restrictions on who can help voters mark their ballots. These changes would apply only to federal elections and would take effect only after a specific Supreme Court ruling is made public.
Maddy summaryHB 859 requires all in-person absentee ballots in Mississippi to be processed using optical mark reading (OMR) equipment at county election offices, with paper ballots as a backup if the equipment fails. The bill mandates that OMR equipment be sealed overnight, updates absentee ballot forms to print applications and voter certificates on a single sheet, and requires election officials to post a daily list of in-person voters. It also specifies that all ballots must be counted and reported on election night, and revises procedures for challenging voter qualifications during the voting process. These changes directly affect voters casting absentee ballots in person and election officials managing the voting process.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Mississippi Secretary of State to provide sample ballots to county election commissioners at least 60 days before an election, increasing the current requirement of 55 days. The change applies to all elections unless a primary runoff certification deadline makes the 60-day timeline impossible to meet, in which case the Secretary must publish the sample ballot as soon as practicable. The bill directly affects the Mississippi Secretary of State and county election commissioners by adjusting the timeline for distributing sample ballots to voters. This adjustment aims to give election officials more time to prepare and distribute accurate ballot samples before voting occurs.