JACKSON — Mississippi’s House of Representatives voted to pass Zeb Hughes Law authored by Lincoln County Rep. Becky Currie Thursday. Additionally, the house introduced a few interesting bills Thursday. 

Zeb Hughes is one of two local duck hunters who went missing on the Mississippi River near Vicksburg on December 3, 2020. Hughes was from Wesson and the other missing hunter is Gunner Palmer of Hazlehurst. They had set out to scout for ducks on the Mississippi River but never made it back home. Their boat and some hunting equipment was found in the search efforts after their disappearance. 

House Bill 80, would create a presumption of death for a missing person who had undergone a catastrophic event causing imminent peril. This bill would allow Mississippi’s Registrar of Vital Statistics to prepare death certificates under such conditions as the Zeb Hughes Law describes through a court order. 

Currie said she worked with Hughes’ mother at Kings Daughter Medical Center and is a friend of hers. Currently, Mississippi’s law requires someone to be missing and presumed dead for seven years before a death certificate can be issued.

“The family hasn’t been able to have closure,” Currie told The Daily Leader in January. The bill was transmitted to the Senate Friday morning as it moves along the legislative process. It passed with 121 yes votes. 

Interesting bills

Thursday introduced some interesting bills to say the least. HB1248, known as the Tim Tebow Act, would authorize students enrolled at legitimate home schools to participate in public school extracurricular activities. Dan Eubanks introduced the bill and it was sent over to the Education House Committee.

House Bill 1275 would require the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to remove a depiction of two confederate generals raising the confederate flag from the state capitol rotunda. The bill was authored by Bryant W. Clark and referred to the House rules committee. 

Anyone who complained about hunters who dumped deer carcasses on the side of the roads in Lincoln County can celebrate. HB1281 would penalize anyone caught dumping dead wildlife or the organic waste of wildlife along public roadways and navigable public waterways on private lands with their hunting privileges and license revoked. C. Scott Bounds introduced the bill and it was referred to the Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks committee and the Judiciary B committee. 

HB1282 would prohibit satanic displays and rituals from public property. The bill was referred to the public property committee. Jill Ford introduced the bill. 

Check back for updates from Mississippi’s 2024 legislative session.