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MISSISSIPPIAN T h e S t u d e n t N e w s pa p e r
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M i ss i ss i p p i | S e r v i n g O l e M i ss
FREE LEGAL TAX PREP Ole Miss students and Oxford residents can benefit from free, legal tax preparation provided by students and professors from The University of Mississippi School of Law. The service will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays until April 5. BY CHARLOTTE MONA ROI cmroi@go.olemiss.edu
A team of students and professors from The University of Mississippi School of Law is offering help to the public this upcoming tax season by helping individuals file their income tax forms. The free service is available to individuals who have an annual income of $51,000 or less. This program, the ProBono Initiative, began in August 2011. In its first year, more than 200 individuals received help filing their forms. The Pro-Bono Initiative has expanded from last year, and it is expected that more people will be able to benefit from the service this year The Volunteer Income Tax
Assistance site coordinator Chris Barber heads up the program. “We’re basically preparing tax returns for people with incomes under $51,000,” Barber said. “They can just come in, fill out an intake form, and we’ll get started getting their tax returns done.” The people working with the initiative are professionals interested in helping the community. “We’re all certified with the IRS,” Barber said. “This program is mostly funded by donations. We’re part of the North Mississippi Rural Legal Services grant.” The program was started as a way to provide legal asSee TAXES, PAGE 4
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Voter ID rules sent to Department of Justice Proposed rules for voter ID were sent to the Department of Justice for approval this past Tuesday.
WHO QUALIFIES? Individuals with annual income of $51,000 or less.
IS IT LEGIT? Yes – those helping are IRS-certified professionals.
WHEN & WHERE? 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays until April 5 Lafayette County and Oxford Public Library at 401 Bramlett Blvd.
Super Bowl watch parties on campus Residents at the Luckyday Residential College held a watch party for the Super Bowl Sunday night. Residents watched as the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34-31. For more photos, check out page 5.
KAYLA McCARTY | The Daily Mississippian
FILE PHOTO (QUENTIN WINSTINE) | The Daily Mississippian
BY KAYLA CARPENTER krcarpen@go.olemiss.edu
As part of the state’s process of seeking federal approval for voter ID, proposed rules for the new law were sent to the United States Department of Justice for approval this past Tuesday. Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann submitted these rules, and if approved, this law would require every voter to show a driver’s license or other photo ID at the polls. Due to the American Voting Rights Act, the state of Mississippi is required to have any changes in voting procedures approved by the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Political science professor Samuel Gedman said he believes the voter ID legislation will be just another obstacle voters have
to face during elections. “They have to get a license, or sign something up, they might be worried if they have warrants or bad tickets, they might not understand how the system works, so the way of getting voter ID is another restriction to their participation,” Gedman said. Associate professor of law Matthew Hall expressed a similar opinion. “Requiring voter ID is a hurdle that people have to clear before they can go vote,” Hall said. “This limits the ability of every voter to exercise their right to vote.” Gedman also said voter ID is just a way of keeping minorities and transient people, like students, who may have relocated, from voting. Supporters of voter ID See VOTER ID, PAGE 4