I wanted to congratulate Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves, Speaker Philip Gunn and my colleagues: Senator Briggs Hopson and State Representative Mark Baker for receiving the 2012 Legislative Achievement Award from the US Chamber Institute for Legal Reforms 13th Annual Legal Reform Summit. The AG “Sunshine” legislation which promotes transparency and caps contingent fees on outside legal counsel representing the State of Mississippi has been a long-awaited and hard fought proposition going back a number of years. I was happy to be a part of this fight as the former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary A Committee in the previous term and as author of the Senate version of the Sunshine Law this session. It is a great achievement for which these leaders and all those who fought for and voted for this important piece of legislation should be proud. The citizens of Mississippi deserve a legal system that works for their best interests and that is what the Sunshine Legislation promotes.
As a quick update on the Capitol Prayer and Ministry Foundation of which I am a part, I wanted to inform the members of the Legislature that our kick-off date for our first Capitol Prayer Luncheon for the 2013 Legislative Session has been set for January 15, 2013, at the United Methodist Church in Madison, Mississippi. We want our friends in the legislative, executive and judicial branches who have participated in the luncheons to mark their calendars for this event which will mark the first time we have expanded the Ministry Foundation’s activities outside of downtown Jackson, and we are working with Chairman Ben B. James, Jr., and Mrs. Pat Bruce to plan the details of this event which we will inform you of before January 15 and are also working on a Pine Belt event as well. I believe it is vital that we kick off our 2013 Legislative session with much prayer for success as we all come together to do the important work of the State of Mississippi.
Sen. Joey Fillingane
10/24/12
