Bill Text: MS SB2064 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced

Mississippi Senate Bill 2064 (Prior Session Legislation)

MS State Legislature page for SB2064

Introduced

Bill Title: Judges; provide additional chancellor for the Fourth Chancery Court District.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Failed) 2015-02-03 - Died In Committee [SB2064 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2015-SB2064-Introduced.html

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2015 Regular Session

To: Judiciary, Division A; Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Butler (38th)

Senate Bill 2064

AN ACT TO ENACT TRIAL COURT REDISTRICTING; TO AMEND SECTION 9-5-15, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE FOR TWO CHANCELLORS FOR THE FOURTH CHANCERY COURT DISTRICT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the Legislature under Section 152 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 to divide the state into an appropriate number of circuit and chancery court districts; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature has investigated the state of the trial courts and the trial court districts and has considered the needs of the state according to all the criteria imposed by the Constitution and by general law; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 9-5-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

* * *

9-5-15. (1) The Fourth Chancery Court District shall be * * *~~comprised~~ composed of the following counties:

(a) Amite County;

(b) Franklin County;

(d) Walthall County.

(2) The Fourth Chancery Court District shall be divided into two (2) subdistricts as follows:

(a) Subdistrict 4-1 shall consist of Franklin County and the following precincts in the following counties:

(i) Amite County: East Fork, East Gloster, East Liberty, Homochitto, New Zion, Oneil, Smithdale, Tangipahoa and Zion Hill Precincts;

(ii) Pike County: Precincts 12, 13, 18, 18A, 19, 19A, 21, 21A, 22, 24, 3* and 3A*; and

(iii) Walthall County: Darbun, Dexter, District 3 Tylertown, District 4 Tylertown, District 4 West, East Tylertown, Enon, Hope, Improve, Lexie, Mesa, Midway, North Kirklin, North Knoxo, Sartinville, South Kirklin, South Knoxo, St. Paul, Varnel and West Tylertown Precincts.

(b) Subdistrict 4-2 shall consist of the following precincts in the following counties:

(i) Amite County: Amite River, Ariel, Berwick, Crosby, East Centreville, Gloster, Liberty, Riceville, South Liberty, Street, Tickfaw and Walls Precincts;

(ii) Pike County: Precincts 1, 10, 10A, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 2, 2D, 23, 25, 26, 27, 4, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 9, 3* and 3A*; and

(iii) Walthall County: Dinan 98 Precinct.

(3) There shall be two (2) chancellors for the Fourth Chancery Court District. One (1) chancellor shall be elected from each subdistrict.

SECTION 2. (1) From and after January 1, 2016, the holder of the chancellorship for Subdistrict 4-1 shall be that person holding the office of chancellor for District 4 on December 31, 2015; if that office is vacant, the vacancy shall be filled as is otherwise provided by law.

(2) (a) The initial holder of the office of chancellor for Subdistrict 4-2 shall be elected in the regular election of November 2015 for a three-year term; candidates for the chancellorship shall qualify as provided by law.

(b) The person elected as chancellor for Subdistrict 4-2 shall begin the term of office in January 2016, and there shall be no vacancy of the office before that time. The chancellor for Subdistrict 4-2 shall otherwise be elected, serve for a term, and any vacancy in office be filled, as is provided for chancellors generally.

SECTION 3. (1) The boundaries of the subdistricts described in this act shall be the boundaries of the precincts as those boundaries are contained in the Census Bureau's 2010 TIGER Line Shape files released in November 2010.

(2) The Standing Joint Legislative Committee on Reapportionment shall file with the Secretary of State of Mississippi the Split Precinct Block List that details the portions of the partial or split precincts that are contained within a district by census tract and block number, and this document duly filed with the Secretary of State is hereby incorporated into and shall be construed to be an integral part of this act. The partial or split precincts contained in Section 9-5-15 shall be identifiable by an asterisk (*) which shall follow its designation within any subdistrict.

SECTION 4. Section 1 of this act shall take effect and be in force from and after January 1, 2016, and Sections 2 and 3 of this act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.