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Mississippi PBA held its Division meeting on Saturday, May
21, 2005 in the Division office in Jackson, MS. Chapter
Presidents and Vice-Presidents from all areas of the state
were represented for the meeting. We were also pleased to
welcome Jack Roberts, SSPBA President, Grady Dukes, Staff
Attorney, and Terry Nowell, Director of Training and
Research to the Mississippi Division Office.
Prior to the Board Meeting, Terry Nowell provided the MS
Board of Directors’ with a training session on Political
Activity. This session included training on our new CAPWIZ
program, which enables our membership to become more
directly involved in our lobbying efforts. Through the
program, members receive Legislative Alerts on bills pending
in the legislature, which will impact law enforcement
officers. The alert asks members to take action by sending
an email to their representative. The program will even
identify your representative for you by entering your zip
code. It only takes a moment to have your voice heard and
when we all speak together, they listen. Legislative
updates, which require no action, are also sent on these
issues to keep members informed. The Mississippi Division
has utilized this program very effectively and we want to
expand the program by encouraging even more members to
participate. CAPWIZ can and should be used to keep our
membership informed on important legislative issues that
affect their careers. Every member of PBA is encouraged to
participate in this program. If you haven’t been receiving
these alerts and updates, you can simply send your name and
email address to
mspba@sspba.org to be included.
The Board of Directors’ approved the minutes from the 2003
Board meeting. The Board received Financial, Legal and
Membership Reports for 2004 from Tommy Simpson, Director of
Organizational Services, Western Region. This was followed
by the 2004 and 2005 Legislative Reports. The following
items were approved by the Board of Directors for the 2006
Legislative process:
A. Administrative Due Process
To provide due process to all municipal officers in the
state.
B. Representation on the Law
Enforcement Standards and Training Board Legislation to
appoint the Mississippi Division PBA president to the
training board to represent the prospective of rank and file
officers.
C. Amendment to Public Records
Act
To amend existing law to exclude certain information related
to a law enforcement officers home address, social security
number, home telephone number, names and address of
immediate family members.
D. Officer’s Personal
Automobile Insurance
To amend current law prohibiting insurance companies from
considering accidents occurring while in official capacity,
when determining premium rates or insurability of a law
enforcement officer.
The meeting then
adjourned.
We would like to thank all those who attended and we hope,
that the Chapter Presidents and Vice-Presidents go back to
their respective areas and let their membership know that we
are here and are working to better our profession. We all
must be trying to recruit new members and let them know what
the PBA can offer them. |