Comment on Lee, Itawamba jail bills advance in Legislature

By Bobby Harrison Daily Journal Jackson Bureau JACKSON – A bill to allow the Lee County Board of Supervisors to construct a new jail outside of the city limits of Tupelo finally passed two Senate committees Thursday and is now pending before the full chamber. The legislation, along with another bill that would allow the Itawamba County Board of Supervisors to build a jail outside of the municipal limits of Fulton, passed both the Local and Private Committee and Corrections Committee on Thursday. The local and private legislation is needed because general state law mandates that a county jail be located within the corporate limits of the county’s seat of government. The legislation, at least in terms of the bill dealing with the Lee County Jail, had garnered more attention than is normal for such measures.