BROOKHAVEN — Lincoln County Sen. Jason Barrett took on more serious matters Tuesday. He introduced a bill to require free access to electronic court systems for public defenders, add an additional chancellor to the 15th district and revise the salary scale for the Department of Public safety. 

Barrett owns his own Law Firm and practices law in Brookhaven. 

The new pieces of legislation were introduced a day after Barrett introduced a bill to ban squatted vehicles Monday.Senate Bill 2266 would provide that public defenders have free access to electronic court system records for matters involving indigent defendants. 

Senate Bill 2265 would provide an additional chancellor for the 15th chancery court district which rules over Lincoln and Copiah Counties. Candidates for the new chancellorship position would have to run for office in a special election in November 2024. Deadline to file for the election would be June 1, 2024 at 5 p.m. 

Barrett additionally co authored Senate Bill 2285 which would revise the pay scale for the Department of Public Safety. Officers with DPS would be eligible for a bonus annual sum based on the level of college degree they have. 

Check back for more updates from Mississippi’s 2024 Legislative Session.