{"id":32531,"date":"2016-03-23T22:33:16","date_gmt":"2016-03-24T04:33:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=32531"},"modified":"2016-03-24T10:48:46","modified_gmt":"2016-03-24T15:48:46","slug":"oxford-congressman-jay-hughes-files-emergency-restraining-order-on-mississippi-house-speaker-philip-a-gunn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/oxford-congressman-jay-hughes-files-emergency-restraining-order-on-mississippi-house-speaker-philip-a-gunn\/","title":{"rendered":"Oxford Representative Jay Hughes Files Emergency Restraining Order on Mississippi House Speaker Philip A. Gunn"},"content":{"rendered":"

Freshman Representative Jay Hughes <\/strong>(District 12<\/a><\/strong>) filed for an emergency restraining order today in Hinds County<\/strong> Circuit Court seeking to require the Mississippi Constitution<\/strong> be followed in the chamber of the Mississippi House of Representatives<\/strong>.
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 <\/p>\n

According to Representative Hughes:<\/span><\/p>\n

At issue is Article 4, Section 59 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, which requires all bills be fully read before they are voted upon.\u00a0 Historically, the House Clerk<\/strong> has personally read each bill aloud, in its entirety.\u00a0 <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

However, in the last few years, an electronic device was purchased at taxpayers\u2019 expense to automatically read the bills aloud.\u00a0\u00a0 The reading procedure has been invoked each year as long as members can remember.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

This session, however, Speaker of the House, Phillip A. Gunn<\/strong>, has accelerated the reading speed to the highest possible level on the machine<\/a>, which reads the words faster than any human ear or mind can even arguably comprehend, or about 10 words per second.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Despite multiple pleas from Representatives on the House floor today, before the taking legal action, Speaker Gunn declared that the Constitution said nothing specifically about being able to understand the bills, and refused to slow it down as it has always been.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In his post to constituents, Hughes said: \u00a0“Silence is consent. Today I chose to speak – for the Mississippi Constitution and its people. We must respect the law. I cannot sit by and watch legislation harmful to education and the people just evade the entire process.”<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight is right and wrong is wrong,\u201d said Hughes. \u201cThis is no different than a bully on a public school play ground.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hughes paraphrased established Supreme Court<\/strong> law: \u201cThe government has been emphatically termed a government of laws, and not of men.\u00a0 It will certainly cease to deserve this high appellation if the laws furnish no remedy for the violation of a vested legal right.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

A temporary restraining order was granted to require bills be read at a normal rate of speed, and audio.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

The hearing on a permanent injunction is Monday<\/span>, at 9:00 am<\/span>, in the Hinds County Circuit Courthouse before Judge Winston L. Kidd<\/strong>.\u00a0\"The<\/span><\/p>\n