House Bill 1609

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, TO ESTABLISH A COUNTY COURT; TO PROVIDE FOR THE ELECTION OF ONE COUNTY COURT JUDGE FOR THE COURT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) The Board of Supervisors of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, in its discretion, may establish a county court in Oktibbeha County.

(2) There shall be one (1) county court judge elected for the county court established in subsection (1) of this section. The initial holder of the judgeship created by this section shall be elected at a special election to be held at the same time as the general election in November 2003. Candidates for the county court judge shall qualify to run not later than forty-five (45) days before that election. The person elected as county court judge shall begin the term of office on the first day of January 2004 and serve until January 2007. Beginning with the general election in November 2006, the county court judge of Oktibbeha County shall be elected at the same time and in the same manner as provided for county judges in the general laws of this state.

(3) Except as provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section, the county court established and the county court judge elected under this section shall be governed by all applicable general laws of this state regarding county courts and county court judges.

SECTION 2. The Board of Supervisors of Oktibbeha County shall submit this act, immediately upon approval by the Governor, or upon approval by the Legislature subsequent to a veto, to the Attorney General of the United States or to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in accordance with the provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the date it is effectuated under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended and extended.