This report concerns the composition and activities of the Mississippi Legislature in 1964. The report seemed necessary because of the large number of anti-civil rights bills and other bills of a racial character dealt with by the 1964 Legislative Session . . . .

Please note that only those bills starred with an asterisk have actually been signed into law, as of June 2, 1964. Several other bills which have been passed in either or in both houses will probably become law before adjournment of the current session, expected in late June or early July . . . .

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

I. ANTI-ECONOMIC BOYCOTT BILL -- Senate Bill No. 1607 (Still in Committee) -- This bill attempts to outlaw economic boycotts by Negroes against white businesses which discriminate.

*2. ANTI-LEAFLETING LAW -- Senate Bill No. 1545 (Passed and Signed) -- This bill prohibits the distributing of leaflets calling for economic boycotts.

*3. ANTI-TICKETING LAW -- House Bill No. 546 (Passed and Signed) -- A bill prohibiting picketing of public buildings.

4. "SECOND" ANTI-TICKETING LAW -- (Passed in House, Sent to Senate) -- An almost identical law to be used if the above law is declared unconstitutional.

5. BILL AUTHORIZING SPECIAL DEPUTY SHERIFFS IN ALL COUNTIES -- House Bill No. 246 (Still in County Affairs Committee) -- A bill to allow unlimited deputy sheriffs "to cope with emergencies."

*6. BILL TO "RESTRAIN MOVEMENTS OF INDIVIDUALS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES -- THE CURFEW LAW -- House Bill No. 64 (Passed in Both Houses and Signed) -- This bill would allow police to restrict freedom of movement of individuals and groups and to establish curfews without formally declaring martial law.

7. BILL "TO PROVIDE FOR APPOINTMENT OF SECURITY AND PATROL PERSONNEL FOR STATE INSTITUTIONS" -- House Bill No. 617 (Passed in House and Sent to Senate) -- This bill provides for "security patrol officers" to be appointed at all State institutions by the Public Safety Commissioner.

8. BILL TO AUTHORIZE A COMPLETE RADIO STATION FOR POLICE IN ANY COUNTY -- House Bill No. 101 (Passed in Both Houses).

*9. THE "MUNICIPAL AGREEMENT" ACT -- Senate Bill No. 1526 (Passed by Both Houses and Signed) -- A bill to allow municipalities to share police force and firefighting equipment during "riots and civil disturbances."

10. THE "REFUSAL TO COMPLY WITH CERTAIN REQUESTS" BILL -- House Bill No 777 (Passed in Both Houses) -- A bill to outlaw passive resistance in civil rights demonstrations.

*11. THE HIGHWAY PATROL ACT -- House Bill 564 (Passed in Both Houses and Signed) -- An omnibus bill enlarging the Highway Patrol and expanding its powers, and allowing the Governor to order the Patrol into local situations without the request of local authorities.

12. ANTI-FREEDOM SCHOOL BILL NO. I -- Senate Bill No. 2136 (Still in Judiciary Committee) -- This bill makes illegal the Freedom Schools and Community Centers planned by COFO for the coming summer.

13. ANTI-FREEDOM SCHOOL BILL NO. 2 -- Senate Bill No. 1969 (Still in Education Committee) -- This is an earlier attempt to ban the Freedom Schools.

14. A BILL TO RAISE QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERS OF COUNTY BOARDS OF EDUCATION -- Senate Bill No. 1702 (Released from Education Committee) -- Among other things, this bill would require Board members to be high-school graduates. The bill has had trouble in the Senate.

15. A BILL TO PERMIT SEGREGATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS BY SEXES -- (Approved by the House Education Committee) -- The bill is to be used in the event Mississippi schools are forced to integrate racially.

16. BILLS TO ALLOW STATE SUPPORT OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS --(Introduced into the Senate) -- This is a series of bills to allow state funds to be used in support of private schools if public schools are closed to avoid integration.

17. BILL TO REVOKE THE CHARTER OF TOUGALOO C0LLEGE -- Senate Bill No. 1672 (Still in Judiciary Committee) -- This bill was introduced in retaliation for civil rights activities of students and faculty at integrated Tougaloo College.

18. BILL TO END ACCREDITATION OF TOUGALOO COLLEGE -- Senate Bill No. 2043 (Passed in Both Houses) -- This bill would change the accreditation system in the state so that Tougaloo could be dropped from accreditation.

19. INVESTIGATION OF UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI PROFESSOR CRITICAL OF THE STATE -- Concurrent resolution introduced in the House -- An attack by legislators against a critical university professor.

20. ANTI-SUMMER PROJECT BILL -- TO PROHIBIT ENTRY INTO THE STATE -- House Bill No. 870 (Still in judiciary "A" Committee) -- This bill attempts to prohibit entry into the state of volunteers for the Mississippi Summer Project on the grounds that their purpose is "willful violation of the laws of the state."

21. THE "CRIMINAL SYNDICALISM" BILL -- Senate Bill No. 2027 (Passed in Senate, Reported Out Favorably by House Committee) -- This bill makes illegal any association which advocates or practices crime or violence. It is aimed both at white extremist groups and at civil rights organizations.]

22. BILL TO PROHIBIT THE CAUSING OF CRIME FROM OUTSIDE THE STATE -- Senate Bill No. 2026 (Passed in Senate, Reported Out Favorably by House Committee) -- This bill, like the Criminal Syndicalism Bill, could be applied to both white extremists and civil rights workers.

23. AN ACT TO PROHIBIT "ENTICEMENT" OF A CHILD TO VIOLATE THE LAWS AND ORDINANCES OF THE STATE House Bill No. 786 (Still in Judiciary "A" Committee) -- This bill attempts to keep minors from participating in civil rights activities by punishing teachers, parents, and civil rights workers.

24. BILL PROVIDING FOR COURTS TO TREAT JUVENILES ARRESTED IN CIVIL RIGHTS CASES AS ADULTS -- House Bill No. 96o (Passed by House, Now in Senate) -- This bill removes from Youth Court jurisdiction minors under 21 years of age charged under those laws most often used for arrest of civil rights workers.

*25. APPROPRIATION FOR THE STATE SOVEREIGNTY COMMISSION -- $50,000 -- Senate Bill No. 1896 (Passed in Both Houses and Signed) -- An emergency $50,000 appropriation to the State Sovereignty Commission, the official watchdog of segregation in Mississippi, to fight the Civil Rights Bill now pending before Congress.

26. SUPPORT FOR GOVERNOR WALLACE -- Concurrent Resolution in the House (Passed by the House) -- A Resolution commending Wallace for his Wisconsin "victory."

27. BILL TO PAY COSTS OF COUNTY REGISTRARS AND CIRCUIT CLERKS CONVICTED UNDER THE 1957 and 1960 CIVIL RIGHTS ACTS -- Senate Bill No. 1880 (Passed in Senate, Now in House) -- This bill would allow the State to actively support county officials who refuse to comply with Federal Court orders to register Negroes on an equal basis with whites.

28. THE "LIBERTY AMENDMENT" TO OUTLAW FEDERAL AGENCIES AND THE INCOME TAX -- House Concurrent Resolution No. 16 (Passed in Both Houses, Now in joint Committee) -- This proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution would require the U.S. Government to dissolve or sell all agencies which might compete with private enterprise. The personal income tax would also be ended.

29. BILL TO END URBAN RENEWAL -- House Bill (Passed in House, Sent to Senate) -- A bill ending urban renewal in Mississippi to avoid "federal encroachment."

*30. BILL TO INVALIDATE THE 24TH AMENDMENT, WHICH BANS THE POLL TAX -- Senate Bill No. 1783 (Passed in Both Houses and Signed) -- This bill appears to comply with the 24th Amendment, which bans the poll tax in Federal elections. But the bill in fact provides for a similar form of registration which would have the same exclusive effects as the poll tax itself.

31. BILL TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF NEGROES ON MISSISSIPPI JURY LISTS -- House Bill No. 937 (Passed in House, Sent to Senate) -- This bill attempts to reduce the number of Negroes on Misissippi jury lists by changing the qualifications for jury members.

*32 BILL TO PROVIDE PRISON TERMS OR STERILIZATION FOR PARENTS OF ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN -- House Bill No. 180 (Passed by House, Revised Version Passed by Senate, Senate Version Finally Approved by Both Houses and Signed) -- This bill in its original House form gave parents of a second illegitimate child the choice between three to five years in the State Penitentiary and sexual sterilization. A Senate version, striking the sterilization clause and reducing the penalty to a misdemeanor, was finally approved and signed.

33. BILL TO PROVIDE STERILIZATION FOR THOSE CONVICTED OF A THIRD FELONY -- House Bill No. 788 (Still in Judiciary En Banc Committee) -- A bill to provide mandatory sterilization of those convicted of a third felony.

34. BILL TO REDUCE THE PENALTY FOR RAPE, -- House Bill No. 145 (Defeated in the House) -- A defeated bill which would have reduced the penalty for rape. The present penalty is either death or life imprisonment.

*35. BILLS TO ALLOW ARRESTED CIVIL RIGHTS WORKERS TO BE TRANSFERRED TO PARCHMAN PENITENTIARY -- House Bills No. 321 and 322 (Passed in Both Houses and Signed) -- These bills provide that city and county officials may transfer prisoners to the State Penitentiary in the event of "crowded or inadequate" facilities.

36. BILL TO ALLOW DISCLOSURE OF JUVENILE COURT RECORDS TO STATE AGENCIES -- Senate Bill No. 2016 (Passed in Senate, Amended Version Passed in House) -- This bill would allow disclosures from records of juvenile offenders to any office or agency of the State, at the discretion of the Youth Court Judge. The purpose of the bill is to allow the Board of Trustees of the University of Mississippi to consider the civil rights arrest records of Negro applicants.

*37. BILL TO REFORM PARCHMAN PENITENTIARY -- House Bill No. 227 (Passed in House, Revised Bill Passed in Senate, House Version Finally Passed in Both Houses and Signed) -- A "reform" bill for Parchman Penitentiary which, however, allows continued use of the lash on prisoners. The bill centralizes control of the Penitentiary under the Governor.

Source: Len Holt (1965) The Summer That Didn't End (New York: William Morrow), pp. 281-285.