Former State Rep. Bennett Malone passed away Sunday morning, a spokeswoman for Speaker Philip Gunn confirmed.
Malone, a Democrat from Carthage, resigned from the Legislature in 2015 after serving 36 years. He represented District 45, which includes Leake, Neshoba, Rankin and Scott counties.
He served as chairman of the House Corrections Committee during the final years of his legislative career.
Speaker Gunn was not immediately available for comment Sunday morning.
State Rep. Tom Miles, D-Forest, described Malone in a Facebook post as “a true public servant that loved his constituents that he served” and as “someone that wasn’t afraid to stand up for the little man.”