Hood focuses on crime, consumer protection

By Staff
from staff and wire reports
August 11, 2004
After a hectic first few months in office, state Attorney General Jim Hood said he is trying to slow down and focus on a few main goals: crime prevention, consumer protection and law enforcement.
Hood also said he will renew "an all-out push" for a campaign finance law that requires groups to disclose more information about where they receive the money they give to candidates.
Republican Gov. Haley Barbour vetoed a campaign finance bill lawmakers passed earlier this year.
Barbour said a provision that limited businesses' contributions to political action committees "would criminalize a long-standing, acceptable way for businesses to participate in the political process."
But Hood said Mississippi's campaign finance laws still have large loopholes including one that allows Political Action Committees to give money to other PACs, making it difficult for voters to trace the original source.
Tough race
Hood, a former district attorney from North Mississippi, won office last year after Moore did not seek re-election. Moore backed Hood, who in turn defeated Republican Scott Newton in the November election.
Hood spoke Tuesday with The Associated Press. He covered some of the same issues he talked about in a speech he gave during an appearance last month at the Neshoba County Fair.
Hood said he is still frustrated by money injected into the state attorney general's race by a group called Law Enforcement Alliance of America, which paid for TV ads criticizing Hood's work as district attorney.
Hood said when he called to obtain information about the group, he reached an out-of-state answering machine.
Hood said he borrowed $500,000 in the final days of the campaign to buy ads to defend himself, and he still has $400,000 of that debt to repay.
School violence
To prevent crime, Hood said his office is developing a manual to help teachers identify signs that students might carry out violent acts at school.
The office also is working on ways to help students report what they know about planned acts of violence without putting themselves in danger.
To protect consumers, Hood said the attorney general's office is assembling a team to prosecute con artists especially those who try to scam the elderly.
To help with law enforcement, Hood said his office already has successfully pushed for enactment of a new law increasing penalties for crimes committed with firearms.