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You as a member of Mississippi PBA can have your voice
heard and play a vital role in passing legislation which
promotes positive change in the benefits and work
environment of law enforcement officers. You can do this
now, day or night without even leaving your home. Here
in Mississippi, PBA has been quite active and effective
in lobbying the legislature for your interest as a law
enforcement officer. There is little doubt that PBA is
the voice of law enforcement.
Starting in the 2005 legislative session PBA has taken
another giant step into the future of the electronic age
with “CAPWIZ”. For the sake of simplicity, “CAPWIZ” is a
means of electronic politicking. With this service,
through our web site and email, you as PBA members can
send personalized email messages regarding legislation
directly to your senators and representatives. In the
recent 2005 legislative session, “CAPWIZ” gave us the
ability to present important legislative information to
our members and gave them the ability, night or day to
send messages to their senators and representatives in
support or opposition. These messages not only expressed
the member’s support of the legislation to the
legislator, it brought it to their attention and
informed them of law enforcement’s prospective.. This
can be done without even knowing who your senator or
representative is. CAPWIZ will identify them for you
with just your zip code and then personalize you message
to them. With about three clicks of the mouse and a
stroke or two on the enter key, you can support
legislation that is of personal benefit to you and every
other law enforcement officer in this state.
PBA must have your email address in order for you to
receive these CAPWIZ Legislative Alerts. If we don’t
have your address or your not sure if we have the
correct one send it to us at
mspba@sspba.org
The Law Enforcement Officers Disability Bill (SB-2559)
which was passed during the 2005 legislative session is
a good example. CAPWIZ was utilized in support of the
bill. Many of you that received CAPWIZ alerts sent email
message to your senators and representatives. We credit
this as being one very large reason that the bill passed
both the Senate and House of Representatives by
unanimous vote.
Below a response email sent to the many members of PBA
who sent CAPWIZ messages to him supporting the
disability bill. Senator Tollison authored and
introduced this legislation at the request of PBA.
Email Message From Senator Gray Tollison...
I wanted to let you know that the Governor signed SB
2559, the law enforcement disability trust fund bill,
yesterday. This bill will go into effect on July 1st and
will collect the $1 assessment on traffic violations
etc. for one year. Then, on July 1, 2006, it will go
into effect. I have pasted a link to the bill as signed
by the Governor below:
http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2005/html/SB/2500-2599/SB2559SG.htm
The pertinent language of the bill is as follows:
The Department of Public Safety shall make a monthly
disability benefit payment equal to thirty-four percent
(34%) of the covered individual's regular base salary at
the time of injury when a covered individual, while
engaged in the
performance of the individual's official duties, is
accidentally or intentionally injured in the line of
duty as a direct result of a single incident. The
benefit shall be payable for the period of time the
covered individual is physically
unable to perform the duties of the covered individual's
employment, not to exceed twelve (12) total payments for
any one (1) injury. Chronic or repetitive injury is not
covered. Benefits made available under this section
shall be in addition to any workers' compensation
benefits and shall be limited to the difference between
the amount of workers' compensation benefits and the
amount of the covered individual's regular base salary.
Compensation under this section shall not be awarded
where a penal violation committed by the covered
individual contributed to the disability or the injury
was intentionally self-inflicted.
Gray Tollison
Chairman, Judiciary Division B Committee
State Senator, District 9
Lafayette, Tallahatchie and Yalobusha Counties |