Gov. Bryant Calls Special Legislative Session
to Address Need for Additional Prosecutors
JACKSON—Gov. Phil Bryant today issued a proclamation calling lawmakers into a Special Legislative Session at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2, 2014, to provide additional full-time assistant district attorneys in districts throughout Mississippi. The special session will be concurrent with the ongoing regular legislative session, which is scheduled to end on April 7.
After consulting with the Mississippi Prosecutors Association, Gov. Bryant recommended providing additional assistant district attorneys in his Fiscal Year 2015 Executive Budget Recommendation. The Legislature had the opportunity to consider proposals to add the ADAs, but lawmakers were unable to reach an agreement before deadlines on Monday.
“Public prosecutors in Mississippi are understaffed, which causes backlogs and inefficiencies in the judicial process. These same prosecutors will be responsible for implementing many of the criminal justice reforms we have signed into law. We must provide additional assistant prosecutors,” Gov. Phil Bryant said. “With this special session, lawmakers have the time to provide more prosecutors for the state and strengthen prosecution of felons and drug traffickers. Because the special session is concurrent with the regular session, no additional travel is required by lawmakers; I urge them to waive additional per diem reimbursements and save taxpayer dollars while they get this work done.”
MS Governor Phil Bryant Press Release
4/2/14
Magnolia Tribune
