JACKSON, Miss. (AP, abc24.com) - Attorney General Jim Hood may be busy Thursday while House members debate a bill to limit his powers.
The House bumped up its meeting time from the usual 2 p.m. to 10 a.m., when Hood is likely to be arguing against former Gov. Haley Barbour's pardons at the state Supreme Court.
The bill would allow statewide elected officials and agency heads to hire attorneys with state money whenever they find Hood's office has a conflict or can't effectively represent them. It would mandate all contracts with outside lawyers worth $100,000 or more be posted.
Hood, the only elected statewide Democrat, says the bill is unconstitutional and driven by Republican partisanship. He sought to speak against it before a House committee Tuesday, but his request for a hearing was turned down.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
