You live in a state that has vague, obscure laws about motorized bicycles, like most of the rest of us. I'm assuming you live in Mississippi. This is what I dug up on the state laws:
Sec. 63-7-51. General vehicle brake equipment requirements:
http://michie.com/mississippi/lpext.dll/mscode/12b3b/12fc2/12fc4/13047?f=templates&fn=document-frame.htm&q=bicycle&x=Advanced&2.0#LPHit1
If you look at part (2) it says:
(2) Every motorcycle, and
bicycle with motor attached, when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with at least one brake, which may be operated by hand or foot.
This is just some random law, but there is hope, at least the phrase exists in the laws. Another good sign is that the laws never define what a bicycle is supposed to be or not supposed to be. What I mean, for example, look at how Hawaii law defines a bike:
..."Bicycle" means any vehicle propelled solely by human power, upon which any person may ride, having two tandem wheels...
Since they spelled out what a bike is supposed to be, and that it must be powered
solely by human power, Hawaii MBikers are screwed (there is more story than this for Hawaii bike laws, but it serves as a good example).
You are lucky that your state laws don't get particular. If you decide to take the plunge, if I were you I'd print Sec. 63-7-51 out, maybe half-print size and laminate it in plastic and keep it on the bike at all times.
Perhaps this news article will cheer you up:
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080614/NEWS/806140339/1001/news:cool:
Why not simply email the college professor in the above article and ask him? His contact info is at the bottom of this link:
http://www.mc.edu/campus/academics/PSY/faculty.html