It’s Alcohol Awareness Month. Our guests from the Mississippi Department of Revue, their Director of Public Relations and Communications, Tina Richardson and Riley Nelson, Chief of Enforcement Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control. We're talking about liquor sales, laws, taxes, and vendor questions. Oh and it’s primary election day!!

I love a good website and DOR has one. dor.mo.gov from there you can click on ABC, titles and tags, cannabis – whatever you want answers about.

Are you ready to vote today? If not, I’ve got some assistance for you. Yallvote.ms is the short cut to get tons of election information. They’ve got a “My Election Day” button to click to see where you vote, see a sample ballot, and see who your current office holders are. If you aren’t registered to vote . . . get yourself registered before May 5th so you CAN vote in the General Municipal Election, June 1st.

Can alcoholic beverages be sold on election day? According to the FAQ page of the Department of Revenue’s ABC section:

Sales of alcoholic beverages are not limited or restricted on election days. Local governments cannot restrict the sale of alcoholic beverages by package stores or on-premises ABC permittees on election days. Beer sales on election days may be restricted by a local ordinance.

Office of Consumer Services can provide information about services offered by DMH and DMH certified community service providers. Information is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling the DMH Helpline at 1-877-210-8513. Receive information about mental health, IDD, and substance abuse services available in your area.

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Mississippi has great weather and great topography for riding a bicycle. But whether YOU are on the bike or YOU are in the car, we all need to know the rules of the road and everyone’s rights. Attorney Baskin Jones is here to help us learn.

Does this talk make you want to take a bike ride? Visit Mississippi dot org has an information page to help you plan a ride in various parts of the state over various terrains.

In addition to Visit Mississippi, M-DOT has some advice for folks on bikes. M-DOT shares a 2019 report card for Mississippi from the League of American Bicyclist, where our state gets pretty bad grades. The good news is Go Gulfport has received a grant to help enhance cycling infrastructure and active transportation. You can read about the good, the bad, and the helpful from M-DOT’s website.

Next Tuesday is an important day – no foolin’. Next Tuesday, April 1st is election day! Polls will be open 7am to 7pm for municipal primary elections. We’ll have the link for the My Election Day website so you can type in your address and see the sample Republican and Democratic ballot for you

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Our guest today is Mississippi attorney Francis Springer. We touched on the importance of no conflicts of interest in client / lawyer relationship

If you need some answers after the recent storms in Mississippi : MS Legal Services dot org is a guide to free civil legal services for low-income persons and seniors in Mississippi. Their disaster relief webpage has information about Federal Agencies that provide disaster assistance, Locating and applying for disaster assistance, and suggestions for settling insurance claims after a disaster.

MDOT says: If a traffic light is flashing yellow, it’s important to remember that there is no need to come to a stop, but motorists should stay alert for other drivers entering the highway and proceed with caution. When approaching a flashing red traffic light, drivers must come to a complete stop. An intersection with flashing red lights in all directions should be treated as a four-way stop. In the event of a power outage, treat dark traffic lights as a stop sign and intersections as a four-way stop.                             .

Money Talks, one of our MPB local shows heard at 9am just before In Legal Terms on Tuesday, is also a podcast. You can find their: Money Talks: Prepare for Emergencies podcast with tips on Preparing Before the Storm. That “storm” might be weather, economic, or family issues.

Our listeners came together to offer advice to caller "Ann" on getting a copy of her birth certificate. How to Request a Copy of a Panama Canal Zone Record Listener "Bob" suggested the hospital Ann was born in was in fact in the canal zone. If the person was born in the Canal Zone, he or she acquired U.S. citizenship at birth if born between February 26, 1904 and October 1, 1979, and one parent was a U.S. citizen at the time of the person’s birth. USCIS The Canal Zone ceased to exist on October 1, 1979. See the so-called Torrijos–Carter Treaties (September 7, 1977). If the person was born in the Republic of Panama, but not in the Canal Zone, one parent must have been a U.S. citizen parent employed by the U.S. Government, or by the Panama Railroad Company, at the time of the person’s birth.

Also was the suggestion to contact their congressman.

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What does Mississippi have to do with getting to the Moon? What are the laws concerning the Moon? We’ll find out with the help of our guest Michelle L.D. Hanlon, Executive Director, Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law and Co-Founder, President & CEO of For All Moonkind 

In 1971, Apollo 14 was the third Moon mission of the U.S. Apollo space program, but the flight was unique in one way: tree seeds were taken on the flight to later germinate “Moon Trees”! When selected for the Apollo 14 mission, Astronaut Stuart Roosa was allowed to carry approximately 500 tree seeds with him into space. The species selected were sycamore, loblolly pine, sweetgum, redwood, and Douglas fir, taken from lots of seeds collected at two U.S.F.S. Institute of Forest Genetics (I.F.G.) stations, the southern station in Gulfport, Mississippi, and the western station in Placerville, California. Mississippi State University proudly displays its Sycamore Moon Tree on campus near the Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field, the home playing venue for the Mississippi State Bulldogs football team. A Sycamore was planted at Camp Iti Kana, a Girl Scout camp near Wiggins, Mississippi. There’s is located near the camp flagpole.

A “Moon Tree” was planted on the grounds of Bayou Academy in Cleveland, Mississippi in late May 2024. As a seed, the Sweetgum traveled 270,000 miles around the moon aboard the Orion spacecraft in 2022.

NASA Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi is contributing directly to the agency’s effort to land the first woman, the first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon – for the benefit of all humanity. Work at the nation’s largest – and premier – propulsion test site will help power SLS (Space Launch System) rockets on future Artemis missions to enable long-term lunar exploration and prepare for the next giant leap of sending the first astronauts to Mars.

Michelle's inspiration: Star Trek

Liz's thoughts about items left on the moon: Salvage One

Adam remembered The Expanse (tv show and book series)

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An effort to create a statewide board to study domestic violence deaths, to uncover trends, and guide opportunities for intervention, support and policy unanimously passed both legislative bodies. We’ll learn about domestic violence law and resources for those affected from our guests from the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence: Vera Johnson, Program Specialist and Luis Montgomery, Compliance and Public Policy Specialist.

Where can you get more information about our guests? mcadv.org from there you can read past newsletters, learn about their resources, and contact the staff for assistance or more information.

If you want to track a bill going through our legislature, how can you? legislature.ms.gov   From there you can search for a “measure” from either chamber, contact your representative, or watch a live committee meeting.

Some municipal elections have so many primary candidates that there might be a runoff in some races. Those Primary Runoff elections will be April 22nd. If you did not get registered to vote yet, you’ve got 3 weeks to register before any runoff elections.

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The Mississippi Center for Justice has a new President and CEO, Kimberly Jones Merchant. She’s our guest today to remind us of the focus and goals of the center and what we might expect in the future.

What’s going on this and next month at MCJ? They have an event calendar so you can see that there’s a “My Home My Rights” presentation tomorrow, February 26th at Rust College and an Expungement Clinic March 13th in Clarksdale.

Do you believe that “Justice Takes All of Us”? If you agree you might like that on a tote bag! Or a mug, mouse pad, or water bottle. Or could you order any of that or a t-shirt at the MCJ store or just make a donation.

You’ve only got until Monday to do something that will impact your life for years. This week, Municipal Clerks’ offices may remain open from 8am to 7pm, including the noon hour, for voter registration. You have until Monday, March 3rd to get registered to vote in our Primary Election either in person or have your application postmarked by Monday.

You can vote right now by absentee ballot, by mail, if you’ll be away from your home county on April 1st. In-Person Absentee Voting beginning Saturday, March 22nd. Here's the Secretary of State's 2025 Election Calendar.

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Our laws are argued and upheld in our courts by Officers of the Court. Is there a standard of behavior for them? Maybe “ethical” rules? Let’s find out from our host – Adam Kilgore, former General Council for Mississippi Bar. And guest Cliff Johnson, Director of the MacArthur Justice Center.

Oath for Lawyers Mississippi - Mississippi Code 1972 (2023)

Title 73 - PROFESSIONS AND VOCATIONS (§§ 73-1-1 — 73-79-1)

Chapter 3 - ATTORNEYS AT LAW (§§ 73-3-1 — 73-3-403)

Article 1 - ADMISSION AND CONDUCT OF ATTORNEYS (§§ 73-3-1 — 73-3-61)

Section 73-3-35 - Oath in each court

THE MISSISSIPPI BAR: A LAWYER'S CREED

MISSISSIPPI RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

Today! February 18th

·       18th Absentee Ballots Available in the Municipal Clerk’s Office in the Primary Election.

·       20th Municipal Clerks’ Offices mail absentee ballots to voters on the permanently disabled list.

·       March 3rd is the Primary Election Voter Registration Deadline for the April 1, 2025 Municipal Primary Elections.

https://yallvote.ms/ is a shortcut website to reach the secretary of state’s website to learn about voting.

If you want to know more about our laws as they are being debated and passed – MPB’s @Issue is the show for you. Listen on MPB Think Radio at 6:30pm on Fridays or go to the @Issue page of the News Department on mpbonline.org for links to videos with addition interviews.

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Are you registered to vote? We’ve got municipal elections coming up and you’ve got less than 2 weeks to get registered for those primaries. Our guest is attorney Leah Wong from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and she’ll help us learn about bolstering voter participation, the challenges facing voters in the state.

NAACP Legal Defense Fund: about, history, staff, careers, how to get on their mailing list, and how to make a donation.

From NPR: On Jan. 3, the day the new Republican-led Congress was sworn in, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, reintroduced legislation aimed at stopping noncitizens from voting in federal elections — something that is already illegal and which research has universally shown rarely happens.

From Newsweek: The SAVE Act lists several types of documentation that would be accepted, including a form of identification issued consistent with the requirements of the REAL ID Act of 2005, a valid United States passport, valid military ID, forms of Tribal identification, and proof of naturalization. Many of these forms of ID, other than a passport, either include a birth certificate or must be presented alongside a birth certificate.

For our listeners who are interested The Memorial Service for Professor Richard Gershon will be held on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in the Weems Auditorium (Room 1078) of the University of Mississippi School of Law in Oxford. A reception will follow in the atrium.

If you are an eligible Mississippi voter and need transportation assistance, we will provide a FREE ride to your Circuit Clerk's Office to get a Mississippi Voter ID Card.

Just call our FREE Voter ID hotline at 1-844-MSVOTER (1-844-678-6837) and tell us where you live. We will give you the names of local transportation providers to contact to make travel arrangements to fit your needs. A transportation provider will pick you up, take you to the Circuit Clerk's Office and bring you home. There is NO charge to you for the ride. It is EASY and FREE.

• Feb 18th Absentee Ballots Available: Municipal Clerk’s
• 24th – 28th  Voter Registration: Municipal Clerks’ Offices may remain open from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., including the noon hour.
• March 1st  Voter Registration: Municipal Clerks’ Offices MUST be open from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. for voter registration.
• March 3rd Primary Election Voter Registration Deadline: Applicants who register in-person in the Municipal Clerk’s office or Circuit Clerk’s office today and those who mail registration applications post-marked no later than today are eligible to vote in the April 1, 2025 Municipal Primary Elections.

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Mississippians pride themselves on being patriotic. What what’s more patriotic than serving your country in the military? We’ll learn about military and veterans’ legal rights with today’s guests Ira Rushing from Tully Rinckey.

In 2020, Black Soldiers comprised approximately 21% of the active-duty Army, 15% of the Army National Guard and 21% of the Army Reserve. Black Americans serve in the Army at a rate that is higher than their representation in the U.S. population. The active-duty percentage of Black Soldiers has remained higher than the representation of Black Americans in the U.S. population since 2002, with peaks in 2002 and 2014. In 2022, 146,793 veterans lived in Mississippi. 39,900 or 27% were Black or African American only. I am thankful for our Mississippians who have chosen to serve our country.

https://usafacts.org/topics/veterans/state/mississippi/ https://www.army.mil/blackamericans/index.html

If you’re interested in learning about the law and your rights in Mississippi, tune in to @Issue, MPB News’ Legislative Issues program heard here on MPB Think Radio at 6:30pm each Friday during the session or go to mpbonline.org and click on News to find video interviews from this session and previous broadcasts.

What’s our timeline having to do with elections in Mississippi?

• Absentee Ballot Applications are now available in your Municipal Clerk’s Office.
• Beginning the 15th: Municipal Clerks’ Offices will send absentee ballots for the first and second Primary Elections to UOCAVA (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens) voters who requested an absentee ballot this calendar year, i.e., since Jan. 1,2025.
• 18th Absentee Ballots Available in the Municipal Clerk’s Office in the Primary Election.
• 20th Municipal Clerks’ Offices mail absentee ballots to voters on the permanently disabled list.
• March 3rd is the Primary Election Voter Registration Deadline for the April 1, 2025 Municipal Primary Elections.
• March 22nd To be eligible to vote in the upcoming Primary Elections, Circuit Clerks or Municipal Clerks’ Offices must be in actual receipt of a completed FPCA  - federal post card application - from a UOCAVA voter.

I’ll have link to the Federal Voting Assistance Program and our Secretary of State’s websites that talk about voting while serving overseas.  

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I’m calling this episode “Real ID for-real this time”. We’ve been thrilled to have Department of Public Safety General Council Eric Brown join us a few times on In Legal Terms. We’ve discussed Real IDs but the requirements for those IDs have been postponed many years many times. We’ll find out what’s up now. And we’re grateful that Treasure Tyson, Director of Driver Service Bureau will be here also to answer questions about driver's licenses.

Founded in 1938, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety currently has over 1,400 employees throughout the state. Those employees perform a variety of tasks, including issuing driver’s licenses and firearm permits, patrolling our roads and highways, keeping drugs off the streets, providing training and certification to law enforcement agencies, conducting forensic analysis and investigations, and much more.

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) will kick off its 2025 National Educating America Tour with a free Alzheimer’s & Caregiving Educational Conference for Mississippi residents on Wednesday, February 19 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm CT at the Hilton Jackson Hotel (1001 East County Line Road, Jackson). The free conference is open to everyone and will allow participants to learn from experts in the field of Alzheimer’s disease, brain health, caregiving, and legal and long-term care planning. Register by visiting //www.alzfdn.org/tour. Advance registration is highly recommended. Our friend Richard Courtney will be the legal representative speaking.

What’s up with our Mississippi legislature? Find out! The next season of the MPB News program @Issue has started. It’s heard on Fridays, at 6:30pm on MPB Think Radio. There will be additional content on the Mississippi Public Broadcasting YouTube channel. Republican Austin Barbour and Democrat Brandon Jones will participate in the weekly recaps and roundtable discussions about current issues.

January 31st is the Qualifying Deadline at 5:00 p.m. for Party primary and independent candidates for municipal office.

March 3rd  Primary Election Voter Registration Deadline for mail registration applications post-marked no later than March 3rd are eligible to vote in the April 1, 2025 Municipal Primary Elections.

https://www.sos.ms.gov/content/documents/elections/2025/2025%20Website%20Calendar%20-%20Municipal%20Elections.pdf        

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