Our View: Domestic violence registry is unfortunately needed

Published 3:52 pm Thursday, January 29, 2026

State Senators and Representatives from all areas of Mississippi are in Jackson as the 2026 Legislative Session continues. The yearly meeting of elected officials sees thousands of bills introduced to change laws or policies, but the vast majority of them never make it past the first hurdle.

While much of the news from the Capitol this year has centered around education, there are dozens of other bills that residents may want to weigh in on. One such bill is Senate Bill 2113.

Introduced by Sen. Angela Burks Hill, who represents the Picayune area, SB 2113 would create a statewide registry for people convicted of domestic violence.

Similar to the sex offender registry, the public would have online access to offenders’ names, dates of birth, photographs, conviction dates and counties where they were convicted. Law enforcement would have access to more sensitive data such as their driver’s licenses, federal ID and other information.

Under the proposed bill, offenders would be ordered to register after their second domestic violence conviction. Their name would be removed from the list after five years for second-time offenders, seven years for third-time offenders, 10 years after the fourth domestic violence conviction and 20 years after five or more convictions.

Tennessee passed similar legislation last year, and its registry went live at the beginning of 2026 as the first such program in the country.

Domestic violence is all too common, and such a registry is unfortunately needed. Mississippi Today reported approximately 100 Mississippians died in 2024 in domestic violence related incidents, and domestic violence calls remain the number one most dangerous call for law enforcement to respond.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey compiled by World Population Review found more than half (51.5%) of women and roughly a third (31.3%) of men in Mississippi will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.

A domestic violence registry won’t solve the problem, but it will give residents vital knowledge to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from those with a track record of misdeeds. And with names rolling off the list after a period of time, offenders have one more reason to correct their ways.

Well over 2,000 pieces of legislation have already been introduced this year, and SB 2113, like others, has been referred to committee — Judiciary B in this case — for further action. The State Legislature has a deadline of Feb. 3 for committees to review and vote on bills to send for consideration by the full House or Senate. It is the first of several mass cullings of legislation built into the calendar, and hundreds of bills will die on the calendar without being brought up for a vote.

A hundred Mississippians a year is too many. One Mississippian a year is too many.

But there will be one, at least one, and for every victim who comes forward there are two more afraid to speak out. That is why the domestic violence registry is unfortunately needed.