Sen. Jeremy England

Maddy summarySB 2073 (Mississippi) would allow wine producers and retailers holding a valid permit to ship wine directly to Mississippi residents. It requires a special "direct wine shipper" permit from the Department of Revenue, limits shipments to 24 nine-liter cases per person annually, and prohibits shipping beer or other alcohol. The bill mandates age verification (21+ for delivery), specific labeling, annual sales reporting, and requires that wine be for personal consumption only. It also creates a tax on direct shipments, with some revenue directed to mental health programs. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summarySB 2305, the "Mississippi Halo Law for First Responders," would prohibit approaching within 25 feet of a first responder after receiving a verbal warning not to do so, if the person intends to impede their duties, threaten them, or harass them. The law would apply to police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and correctional probation officers. Violating the law would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 in fines, up to one year in jail, or both. The bill also defined "harass" as conduct causing substantial emotional distress without legitimate purpose.

Maddy summarySB 2326 (Mississippi) would allow property owners to quickly remove unlawful occupants from residential or commercial properties using a sheriff's office process. To use this, owners must submit a signed declaration verifying specific conditions (like posting a 48-hour notice and confirming no lease or family relationship exists) and pay a sheriff fee. The sheriff would then serve a "notice to vacate," remove occupants, and help secure the property - while shielding both the sheriff and owner from liability for property damage during the process. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and would have applied to Mississippi property owners facing unauthorized occupancy.

Maddy summaryThis Mississippi bill, known as the "Free to Speak Law," requires public school, community college, and university employees to use a minor student's legal name and pronouns consistent with the student's sex (as defined by the bill) without written parental permission. It protects employees from job penalties - such as termination or demotion - for refusing to use a name or pronoun inconsistent with a person's sex or for declining to share their own pronouns. Similarly, it prevents schools from disciplining students who refuse to use a name or pronoun inconsistent with a person's sex or for declining to share their own pronouns. The law allows individuals to sue schools for violations and takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2182, the "Academic Transparency Act of 2025," would have required Mississippi public schools to list on their websites the titles and authors of learning materials (like textbooks, digital resources, and teacher-created content) used for instruction, organized by subject and grade. It exempted schools with fewer than 500 total students or those with fewer than 50 students in a class, and prohibited schools from posting full materials to avoid copyright issues. The bill also mandated that schools provide parents 10 days to review new instructional materials before purchase, with options for in-person or temporary remote access. However, the bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and was never enacted.

Maddy summarySB 2244 would have amended Mississippi law to explicitly prohibit individuals enrolled in the Intensive Supervision Program or Home Detention from being eligible for parole. This change would have directly affected people serving sentences under these community-based supervision programs, preventing them from seeking early release through parole. The bill added a new provision (subsection h) to parole eligibility rules, making participation in these programs a permanent barrier to parole consideration. The bill was referred to the Corrections committee but died in committee on February 4, 2025, and never became law.

Maddy summarySB 2325 proposes to increase penalties for harming public service animals used by law enforcement, public safety, or search and rescue agencies. The bill raises misdemeanor penalties for willful harm (up to $500 fine or 60 days jail) and elevates killing or injuring such animals to a felony (up to $5,000 fine and 15 years in prison), requiring offenders to pay restitution to the affected agency. It defines "public service animal" broadly to include animals trained for official duties and clarifies it does not replace existing animal cruelty laws. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and never became law.

Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Mississippi Court of Appeals' establishment (1994), recognizing its role in resolving the Mississippi Supreme Court's appeal backlog and efficiently handling appellate caseloads. It highlights the court's achievement of issuing over 15,000 merit opinions with an average processing time of 200 days since its inception. The resolution formally honors the court's accomplishments, including its community outreach programs and the dedication of its judges and staff over three decades. As a symbolic gesture, it does not enact new laws or affect any policies.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes the schedule for runoff elections in Mississippi by extending the time between the first and second round of voting from three weeks to four weeks. It applies to primary elections for party nominees, general elections for statewide and local offices, and special runoff elections for county election commissioners. Additionally, the legislation explicitly prohibits the use of ranked-choice voting systems in any statewide, county, local, municipal, or school district elections within the state. These changes affect all candidates and voters participating in Mississippi elections where a majority vote is required to win a seat.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new trust fund to provide death benefits to Mississippi law enforcement officers and firefighters who die or suffer fatal injuries while performing official duties. It increases the base death benefit payment to $150,000 and allows for an additional $25,000 per child, with a maximum total payout of $250,000, while also authorizing up to $15,000 for funeral expenses. The legislation creates a separate fund for training and equipment grants, directing any money remaining in the death benefits trust after maintaining a $4 million minimum balance to support enhanced training or safety gear for covered individuals.