2024 Mississippi Legislative Session

Week of April 29, 2024

This was the eighteenth and final week of the 2024 legislative session. Legislators worked through the weekend to finalize the state budget and other bills. Most of the budget was not completed by Monday’s deadline, so the legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution 64 extending the session by several days and suspending the deadlines for certain bills. HCR 64 also set the date for adjournment sine die as Tuesday, May 14, if needed.

Though the hours at the Capitol were long, legislators worked extremely hard. The Legislature adopted the almost $7.9 billion state budget, including more money than ever going to K-12 public education.

On Saturday, April 27, the House took up Senate Bill 3231, which rescinds the scheduled employer contribution increase to the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS). This would have been a 5% increase over three years starting in July. Under SB 3231, the employer contribution will increase by one-half percent every year from 2024 to 2028. The bill also expresses the intention of the Legislature to create a new tier for future members of the system during the 2025 legislative session. SB 3231 passed by a vote of 107-1, and it has been sent to the governor for his signature.

As the week continued, it became clear that the House’s plan for expanding Medicaid to working Mississippians (House Bill 1725) would not be adopted. Medicaid Chairwoman Missy McGee (R – Hattiesburg), Public Health Chairman Sam Creekmore, IV (R – New Albany) and Judiciary A Chairman Joey Hood (R – Ackerman) served on the conference committee, and despite their efforts, talks with the Senate deteriorated throughout the week. After filing and refiling conference reports, HB 1725 died in conference on Thursday.

The House adjourned pursuant to HCR 64 on Saturday, May 4. If the Legislature decides not to gavel in on May 14, this concluded the 2024 legislative session, the first in a four-year term.

 

Week of April 22, 2024

This was the seventeenth week of the 2024 legislative session. As the session winds down, legislators spent most of the week meeting in conferences, filing conference reports and passing conference reports on the floor.

On Friday, the House passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 548, which suspends the rules so that a Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS) bill and an education funding bill could be introduced.

After the deadline was suspended, House Education Chairman Rob Roberson (R – Starkville) introduced House Bill 4130, which would repeal the Mississippi Adequate Education Plan and provide for a new funding formula. The formula is similar to the INSPIRE Act (House Bill 1453) that was passed earlier this year before dying in the Senate. Like INSPIRE, schools would receive more money for low-income students, special-needs students, English language learners and others. HB 4130 has a three-year hold harmless so that districts whose funding was expected to lower will be level-funded. The bill passed by a bipartisan vote of 113-0.

The House is expected to take up the PERS bill (Senate Bill 3231) in the next few days.

The House also took up several suffrage bills, restoring voting rights to certain individuals who were previously convicted of some nonviolent felony offenses. These individuals would have had their voting rights restored under House Bill 1609, but the bill was not taken up in the Senate.

The House is expected to work through the weekend to meet the conference report deadlines and to work on the new general bills under SCR 548. Adjournment sine die is scheduled for Sunday, May 5.

On Thursday, the House honored famed blues singer Bobby Rush and presented him with House Concurrent Resolution 43. The concurrent resolution congratulates Rush on winning his third Grammy Award. While being recognized, the 90-year-old musician performed one of his songs with his harmonica.

Other guests and visitors this week included Laurel High School, Clinton High School’s Attache Show Choir, Jackson Academy, Presbyterian Christian School, Gulfport Mayor’s Youth Council and St. Catherine’s Village.

 

Week of April 15, 2024

This was the sixteenth week of the 2024 legislative session. At this point in the session, bills have either been sent to the governor to be signed or are being discussed in conference.

Conference on a bill occurs when further discussion is needed to reach the best solution. A conference consists of three representatives and three senators who work together to finalize a bill. More than 250 bills are currently in conference, including those that deal with the state budget. Once a bill is out of conference, it must go to both the House and the Senate for a vote before being sent to the governor.

Along with holding conferences all week, the House did meet to discuss local and private bills, to invite conference on some remaining bills and to honor special guests.

On Friday, the House honored Mr. William Jarrell, a 100-year-old World War II Navy veteran and a resident of Escatawpa. He was presented with House Resolution 48 commending him on his service and celebrating his 100th birthday.

The House also honored Jackson State Women’s Basketball Head Coach Tomekia Reed and player Angel Jackson for their many accomplishments this season. Coach Reed was presented with House Resolution 113 for being named SWAC Coach of the Year, while Jackson was presented with House Resolution 111 for being named SWAC Women’s Defensive Player of the Year and being drafted to the WNBA.

Other visitors this week included Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Moss Point High School, Charleston High School, Florence High School, West Jones High School, Winona High School, Sumrall High School, Hartfield Academy, Clergy for Medicaid Expansion and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources.

 

Week of April 8, 2024

This was the fifteenth week of the 2024 legislative session. Wednesday was the deadline for the House to discuss general Senate bills. Any Senate bills that did not make it off the calendar and before the House died.

After the Senate killed the House’s education funding formula proposal (INSPIRE Act), House Education Chairman Rob Roberson (R – Starkville) introduced a strike-all amendment to Senate Bill 2693 inserting the language into the bill. The amended legislation passed 104-16 and has been returned to the Senate. If passed, the INSPIRE Act would replace the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP), the current formula that has only been fully funded twice since its inception in 1997.

Because it is late in the session, much of the week was spent deciding whether to concur with any changes made to House bills by the Senate or to invite conference on those bills. In conference, representatives and senators work together to finalize the details of each bill before they are sent to the governor. Included in the bills being sent to conference are most of the revenue and appropriations bills from both the House and Senate, which will determine the state’s budget.

Next week as the session begins to wind down, legislators will spend much of their time in conference committees ironing out the final details of bills that were sent to conference. These conference committees will then have to file reports before the end of the session.

On Thursday, the House honored former Representative Benjamin Eric Robinson, Sr. who passed away in 2023. Robinson served District 84 (portions of Clarke, Jasper, Lauderdale and Newton Counties) from 1994 until his retirement in 2007. His wife Teresa, children and grandchildren were presented with House Resolution 57, which recognized his legislative career and offered condolences upon his passing.

The House also recognized Okolona native and World War II veteran Mr. L.C. Gladney and presented him with House Resolution 71. He was also presented with the Mississippi Veterans Honor Medal by Mississippi Veterans Affairs Executive Director Mark Smith. Gladney, who will turn 100 years old in May, addressed the House and spoke of his time at Camp Shelby and serving in France.

Other visitors this week included the Piney Woods School, Oak Grove High School, the Meridian High School Boys Basketball team, the Long Beach High School Choir, Accelerate MS and the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency.

Week of April 1, 2024 

This was the fourteenth week of the 2024 legislative session. The deadline for House committees to report general bills originating from the Senate occurred Tuesday, April 2. Any Senate bills that did not make it out of committee died. Members debated general Senate bills on the House floor, and the deadline for these bills to be passed is next Wednesday, April 10. The House took up more than 60 Senate bills this week including the following:

Senate Bill 2689 would replace the state subject area testing requirements in high schools with alternative assessments, like the ACT. Currently, high school students must pass tests on Algebra, American History, Biology and English. The bill passed 103-6, and it has been returned to the Senate.

Senate Bill 2349 would require schools to adopt and implement cardiac emergency response plans. The House adopted Amendment 1 which would allow schools to accept gifts or donations for the purchase of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). SB 2349 passed unanimously 121-0 and has been returned to the Senate.

Senate Bill 2339 would allow American Sign Language to be counted as a foreign language credit for high school graduation requirements. The bill passed unanimously 121-0 and has been returned to the Senate.

Senate Bill 2244 would allow foster care children to have free access to museums and state parks, as well as free transcripts from public universities and junior colleges. The bill passed by a unanimous vote of 120-0.

Senate Bill 2577 would create a criminal penalty for a person creating and disseminating a deepfake or digitization of a candidate 90 days before an election. A deepfake is a video in which a person has been digitally altered to appear as someone else, typically with malicious intent. The bill is similar to House Bill 1689, which passed the House earlier this session. SB 2577 passed unanimously 120-0 and has been returned to the Senate.

Senate Bill 2441 would prohibit the distribution or sale of certain alternative nicotine products, like an electronic cigarette or vape, that cannot be marketed or sold under federal law or FDA rule. A strike-all amendment was introduced creating the “Mississippi Tobacco Harm Reduction Act of 2024;” however, a point of order was raised saying that the amendment was not germane to the original bill. The point of order was well taken, and the strike-all was removed from the bill. SB 2441 passed 115-0.

The Ways and Means Committee also took up several bills from the Senate Finance Committee including a bill to move the Back to School sales tax holiday to the second Friday in July (SB 2470); a bill to allow cigar shops to sell alcohol on the premises (SB 2567); a bill to extend the repealer on tax credits for qualified charitable organizations (SB 2476); a bill to amend the qualifications for the Mississippi Main Street Grant Program (SB 2696); and a bill to define the authority of demolition and removal of structures in the Capitol Complex Improvement District (SB 2917).

The House will continue to work on bills originating from the Senate until the deadline next Wednesday. All Senate bills approved by the House will be sent back with changes to the Senate where they can concur with the changes or invite conference. There are more than 50 Senate bills remaining on the House calendar that must be dealt with by Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the House was visited by the family of the late singer-songwriter and Pascagoula native Jimmy Buffett. His sister Lucy Buffett and cousin Mark Lumpkin were presented with House Concurrent Resolution 16, which celebrates his legacy and expresses sympathy upon his passing.

Other visitors this week included Friends of Mississippi Veterans, Tupelo Young Republicans, Leadership Jackson County, South Jones High School Band, Mississippi Young Bankers and the Mississippi Children’s Museum.

 

Week of March 25, 2024

This was the thirteenth week of the 2024 legislative session. Wednesday, March 27 marked the deadline for original floor action on House appropriations and revenue bills. The Appropriations Committee and the Ways and Means Committee took up several bills to meet this week’s deadline.

The Mississippi School Resource Officers School Safety, or MS ROSS, Act (House Bill 1982) would provide funding for local law enforcement agencies to employ school resource officers at schools within their jurisdictions. The bill passed unanimously by a vote of 120-0, and it has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 1988 would increase the amount of tax credits that may be allocated under the Children’s Promise Act of 2019. These tax credits are for contributions to charitable organizations that provide services to children in foster care, children with chronic illnesses or disabilities and children who are eligible for free or reduced meal programs. The bill passed 101-1 before being held on a motion to reconsider. That motion was then tabled, and the bill has been sent to the Senate.

House Bill 1953 would authorize an income tax credit for businesses that make contributions to a rural hospital in the state. The bill passed unanimously 118-0 and will now go to the Senate.

House Bill 1768 would authorize an income tax credit for taxpayers who provide paid maternity and paternity leave to employees. The bill passed unanimously 120-0.

House Bill 1710 would authorize an income tax credit for employers that participate in employer-sponsored training programs through community and junior colleges. HB 1710 passed 118-0 and has been sent to the Senate.

House Bill 1985 would authorize an income tax credit and an ad valorem tax credit for taxpayers for each dependent child residing with parents who are legally married to one another. HB 1985 passed 117-0.

House Bill 1485 would exclude forgiven, cancelled or discharged federal student loan debt under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program from the definition of “gross income” for state income tax purposes. HB 1485 passed 115-0 and has been sent to the Senate.

House Bill 1855 would exempt sales, leases or other retail transfers of certain fixed-wing aircraft from sales tax. HB 1855 passed 116-1 and will now go to the Senate.

House Bill 1984 would authorize an ad valorem tax credit for certain refines of oil, gas and petroleum products. HB 1984 passed 120-0.

Many of these bills include a reverse repealer clause, meaning that these bills will go to conference for further revision before the end of session.

Committees began to meet again this week to discuss Senate general bills. The deadline for these bills to be passed out of committee is Tuesday, April 2. Senate bills will come out of House committees and onto the House floor discussion. The Senate will go through the same process with House general bills. The deadline for these bills to pass the House is Wednesday, April 10.

Senate Bill 2072 would revise the circumstances and criteria under which a physical therapist may provide treatment without a referral from another health care provider. The bill passed 107-8 and has been returned to the Senate.

Senate Bill 2156 would create the Mississippi Rare Disease Advisory Council at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. This bill is similar to House Bill 616 which was passed earlier this year. SB 2156 passed unanimously 120-0 and has been returned to the Senate.

Under Senate Bill 2157, Mississippi would join 41 other states in the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact. This interstate compact facilitates the practice of telepsychology across state boundaries. The bill passed unanimously 120-0 and has been returned to the Senate.

Senate Bill 2408 would require identification cards at any of the state institutions of higher learning to have 988 Crisis Lifeline information on the cards. The bill passed as amended by the House by a vote of 120-0.

Senate Bill 2698 would create the Cyber Security Review Board. The board would be responsible for addressing cybersecurity threats made to the State of Mississippi. The bill passed unanimously 118-0.

Senate Bill 2557 would authorize Agricultural and Forestry Experimental Stations at Mississippi State University and Alcorn State University to enter into a ground lease for solar installation. SB 2557 passed as amended 118-1.

Senate Bill 2888 would create the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Research Program at the National Center for Cannabis Research at the University of Mississippi. The bill would also establish the Medical Cannabis Research Advisory Board. SB 2888 passed 106-10.

On Thursday, the House was honored to have songwriter Don Poythress visit the Capitol. The Clinton native played one of his songs during session and received a standing ovation. He was recently inducted into the Mississippi Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The House was also visited by the Raymond High School Boys Basketball Team who won the MHSAA 4A State Championship earlier this year. The team was presented with House Resolution 77 commending them on their accomplishments.

Other visitors this week included Rust College, the Boy Scouts of America, West Union Attendance Center, Black Voters Matter, the Department of Mental Health and Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi.

 

Week of March 18, 2024

This was the twelfth week of the 2024 legislative session. Next Wednesday, March 27 is the deadline for original floor action on House appropriations and revenue bills. Members will then continue to work on general bills from the Senate. The House did discuss two of these Senate bills this week despite the deadline being a few weeks away.

On Wednesday, the House took up Senate Bill 2453. The bill would authorize the Public Service Commission to cancel a municipality’s certificate to provide utility services upon findings of inadequacies. The City of Holly Springs Utility Department (HSUD) currently provides power to almost 12,000 customers not only in the city limits but also to customers in Marshall, Benton and Lafayette Counties in Mississippi and Fayette and Hardeman Counties in Tennessee. Customers of HSUD have experienced frequent outages for years, including 133 outages in 90 days. After much debate, the bill passed as amended by the House by a vote of 78-32. SB 2453 has been held on a motion to reconsider.

House Education Chairman Rob Roberson (R – Starkville) introduced Senate Bill 2332, which would revise the funding formula for MAEP. The House adopted Strike-All Amendment 1, inserting the House’s INSPIRE Program (HB 1453) into the bill instead. Strike-all amendments are commonly used when taking up bills from the other house. SB 2332 passed as amended 94-18, and it has been sent back to the Senate.

Visitors this week included Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Delta State University, Jackson State University, the Mississippi Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition, the Brain Injury Association of Mississippi, Tomorrow’s 25 and the Mississippi Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs.

 

Week of March 11, 2024

This was the eleventh week of the 2024 legislative session. The House met as a whole throughout the week to discuss bills that made it out of committee and onto the calendar. Thursday, March 14 was the deadline for members to introduce and discuss these general bills. Any bills not discussed in session by this deadline died on the calendar. The bills discussed dealt with a variety of topics.

House Bill 1590 would reconstitute the membership of the board of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS). The new board would be made up of the state treasurer, the commissioner of revenue, four appointees from the governor, three appointees from the lieutenant governor, one retired member and one current state employee. The bill would also rescind the scheduled employer’s contribution increase that was scheduled for July 1. An increase would be left up to the new board. The bill passed the House by a vote of 85-34 and has been sent to the Senate.

House Bill 1208 would provide for penalties for hunting and fishing on the lands of others without permission. The fines for this kind of trespassing would start at $500 for a first offense.

The bill passed 67-43 before being held on a motion to reconsider.

House Concurrent Resolution 23 would amend the Constitution to provide that only United States citizens are allowed the opportunity to vote. HCR 23 passed by a vote of 81-23 and will now be considered in the Senate.

Several Education bills were discussed this week including the following: the Students Safe at School Act (HB 1379); a bill transferring employment of student attendance officers from MDE to local school districts (HB 73); a bill to authorize the creation of virtual public schools (HB 1192); a bill creating a study committee (SAVED) to determine establishing a model school for failing schools in the Mississippi Delta (HB 1447); and a bill removing the requirement for the current district of a student to approve their release in the event of a transfer (HB 867).

Two bills would target telephone solicitors. House Bill 1350 would prohibit solicitors from making any calls regarding Medicare Advantage Plans. House Bill 1352 would prohibit any calls regarding Medicare supplements and would allow consumers to opt out of all calls. Both bills passed the House and have been sent to the Senate.

House Bill 1607, or the Women’s Bill of Rights, was a major point of discussion this week. The bill would provide legal definitions of “male” and “female,” “man” and “woman,” and “sex.” It would also ensure social or athletic groups could remain single sex. The bill passed 82-30 and has been sent to the Senate.

House Bill 349 would prevent “squatted vehicles,” where a vehicle is modified so that the front fender is raised four inches or higher than the rear fender. Proponents of the bill said that this would keep other drivers safe on the road because the driver of the modified vehicle cannot properly see. Opponents argued this was discriminating against individuals who participate in recreational activities such as car shows. HB 349 passed 75-43.

House Bill 430 would allow for direct sales and shipment of certain wines to Mississippi residents. After being held on a motion to reconsider, the bill passed 91-21.

The Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act (HB 1126) was passed this week. The bill would protect minors from online harmful material and would require digital service users to register their age. The bill passed unanimously 121-0.

One representative presented a bill for the first time before the House. Representative Beth Luther Waldo (R – Pontotoc) presented House Bill 753, which would extend the repealer on the State Board of Cosmetology. The bill passed by a vote of 118-0.

After most general bills were taken up this week, representatives began working on appropriations bills. The appropriations bills determine how much money is given to various state departments and agencies.

The House is responsible for looking at the preliminary budgets of about 50 state agencies, including the Departments of Education, Transportation, Health, Medicaid and Human Services. These bills represent half of the state’s budget; the other half will be considered by the Senate and will be sent to the House for consideration later in the legislative session.

In the budget for the Department of Education (House Bill 1823), the House appropriated more than $3 billion for the implementation of the INSPIRE program, which was passed by the House last week.

Most budgets include reverse repealers, a clause that ensures that a bill cannot become law before going to a conference committee for further revisions. With reverse repealers in place, many appropriations bills were voted on in a block to help speed up the process. The deadline for original floor action on House appropriations and revenue bills is Wednesday, March 27.

The FY25 budgets for these state agencies are recommended by the Legislative Budget Office. These budgets will not be complete until the end of session when they go to conference committees.

Visitors to the Capitol this week included Main Street New Albany, Horn Lake Youth Council, the Medgar and Angela Scott Foundation, the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Jackson Young Lawyers Association and the Mississippi Reentry Coalition.

 

Week of March 4, 2024

The tenth week of the 2024 legislative session proved to be the busiest thus far. Committee meetings to discuss House bills wrapped up early in the week because of Tuesday’s general bill deadline. After Tuesday, all general bills that were not passed out of committee died before reaching the House calendar. The House convened Wednesday through Friday to discuss legislation that made it out of committee. The bills that were considered dealt with a variety of topics. Floor debate will continue on general bills until the March 14 deadline.

On Wednesday, House Education Chairman Rob Roberson (R – Starkville) introduced the Investing in the Needs of Students to Prioritize, Impact and Reform Education (INSPIRE) Act of 2024, or House Bill 1453. The plan would replace the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, or MAEP, the state’s current funding formula. MAEP has only been fully funded twice since its inception in 1997. Under the INSPIRE Act, the base student cost is $6,650, and schools would receive more money for low-income students, special-needs students, English language learners and others. Every four years, a group comprised of the State Superintendent of Education, local superintendents and employees of the State Department of Education would submit a report to the Legislature reviewing the formula and making recommendations. After more than one hour of debate, the House passed HB 1453 by a vote of 95-13. It has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 1609 would allow a person to have their voting rights restored and felony records expunged after five years. This would not include certain crimes such as arson, armed robbery, carjacking, murder, sexual battery, voter fraud and others. The bill passed by a vote of 99-9 before being held on a motion to reconsider.

House Bill 1210 would establish the Dr. Elton Mac Huddleston Rural Veterinarians Scholarship in honor of the late former House member and veterinarian. Representative Mac Huddleston served as a member of the Legislature from 2008 to 2023 where he represented District 15 (Pontotoc County). The bill passed unanimously by a vote of 122-0.

House Bill 315 would modernize terminology in the Mississippi Code by replacing the term “mentally retarded” with the term “intellectual disability.” The bill passed unanimously 122-0.

House Bill 1450 would enter Mississippi into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact to facilitate the mobility of teachers who are married to service members. HB 1450 passed 118-0 and has been sent to the Senate.

House Bill 1655 would revise the candidate qualification process by requiring a notarized written statement and a copy of a Mississippi ID card. HB 1655 passed 81-35 before being held on a motion to reconsider.

House Bill 1156 would prohibit polling places from being closed within sixty days before an election. HB 1156 passed unanimously 122-0 and is now in the Senate.

Two bills would affect the pawnbroking industry in the state. House Bill 1021 would authorize the Commissioner of Banking to allow pawnbrokers to store certain purchased or pledged goods off premises. HB 1021 passed 118-2. House Bill 1062 would authorize pawnbrokers to pass credit and debit card processing charges to customers. HB 1062 passed 104-14.

House Bill 907 would create the Mississippi Childcare Teachers Shortage Study Committee. This committee would make a report on how to increase affordable childcare in the state while also increasing the supply of early childhood teachers. HB 907 passed 121-0.

House Bill 1013 would aim to combat the shortage of paramedics by creating the Paramedics Recruitment and Retention Scholarship Program. To qualify for the program, an applicant must be a certified EMT, have necessary prerequisites for an accredited paramedic program and commit to living in the State of Mississippi for a minimum of three years. HB 1013 passed 118-0.

Seven Representatives presented bills for the first time before the House:

• Representative Lance Varner (R – Florence) presented House Bill 1123, which would authorize the Mississippi Department of Transportation to transfer certain property to the Greene County Board of Supervisors.
• Representative Jonathan McMillan (R – Madison) presented House Bill 1257, which would clarify the maximum fee charged by a notary public and would allow nonresidents who work in Mississippi to be commissioned as a notary public.
• Representative Timaka James-Jones (D – Belzoni) presented House Bill 1404, which would revise the time for holding runoff elections to four weeks instead of three weeks after the first election.
• Representative Jim Estrada (R – Saucier) presented House Bill 1577, which would make bidding terms for public deposits compatible with between counties and municipalities.
• Representative Lawrence Blackmon (D – Canton) presented House Bill 1558, which would require social media platforms to regulate the advertisement of tobacco and nicotine products.
• Representative W.I. “Doc” Harris (R – Hernando) presented House Bill 1311, which would authorize boards of trustees of community or junior colleges to reduce or waive out-of-state tuition for certain students.
• Representative Andy Stepp (R – Bruce) presented House Bill 761, which would extend the repealer on Harper Grace’s Law, which authorizes research and dispensing of CBD oil for medical purposes.

Several noncontroversial bills were passed on Friday including the following: a bill to revise certain provisions regarding telework by employees of state agencies (House Bill 1356); the Peer-to-peer Car Sharing Program Act (House Bill 1048); a bill to prohibit health plans from requiring step therapy before treating advanced metastatic cancer (House Bill 1143); the Seizure Safe Schools Act (House Bill 346); and a bill that would authorize community organizations to receive and administer opioid antagonists, such as Narcan (House Bill 1137).

The House honored the West Point High School Football Team on Thursday for winning the Class 5A MHSAA State Championship in fall 2023. The team was presented with House Resolution 58.

Other visitors this week included the Oxford GIRL emPOWERment Class, Mississippi Tourism Association, the Mississippi Center for Re-Entry, the American Red Cross and the Mississippi Chapters of The Links, Incorporated.

 

Week of February 26, 2024

Committees met frequently during the ninth week of the legislative session, as next Tuesday’s deadline to have House Bills out of their corresponding committees quickly approaches. After Tuesday, March 5, no additional general bills will be added to the House calendar for consideration. Members will also meet in session for longer periods to discuss the bills that make it out of committee. Despite most work still happening in committees, members took up several bills on the House floor this week.
House Medicaid Chairwoman Missy McGee (R – Hattiesburg) presented House Bill 1725, or Healthy Mississippi Works. The act would direct the Mississippi Division of Medicaid to seek a federal waiver to allow coverage for persons described in the Affordable Care Act. The persons included in the expansion are 19 to 64-year-olds whose income is not greater than 138 percent of the federal poverty level. They must also work 20 hours or more a week, be a full-time college student or be enrolled in a workforce training program. HB 1725 passed by a vote of 99-20, and it has been referred to the Senate Medicaid Committee.

Two bills that would affect package retailers were introduced this week. House Bill 328 would increase the number of package retailer’s permits a person or entity may own from one to three. No location could be within 100 miles of another location held by the same permittee. HB 328 passed 65-28. House Bill 329 would authorize local authorities of a wet jurisdiction to permit package retail sales on Sunday. HB 329 passed 68-31. Both bills have been held on a motion to reconsider.
House Bill 1354 would increase the amount of state revenue bonds to assist with the construction of a new warehouse for the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division. The proposed site of the new warehouse would be at the Holmes County Industrial Park, the approximate geographical center of the state. HB 1354 passed 107-7.
House Bill 903 would prohibit the manufacture and possession of machine gun conversion devices. These “Glock switches” or “auto sears” can easily change a semiautomatic handgun or rifle into a fully automatic weapon. The bill is named in honor of fallen George County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Malone who was gunned down during a routine traffic stop in January. HB 903 passed 112-8 and has been sent to the Senate.

Sexual extortion would become illegal under “Walker’s Law,” or House Bill 1196. Sextortion refers to when a person entices another into sharing explicit images or videos and then threatens to post the material online, usually to extort money or sexual favors from the victim. HB 1196 passed 116-0.

House Bill 1665 would allow for incentives for property development within the Capitol Complex Improvement District (CCID). HB 1665 passed 109-1 and has been sent to the Senate.
House Bill 1378 would allow an honorably discharged veteran aged 90 years or older to have an exemption on all ad valorem taxes on a homestead property. The bill passed unanimously by a vote of 120-0 and has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

Two Representatives presented bills for the first time before the House. Representative Kenji Holloway (D – Carthage) presented House Bill 702, which would authorize the Department of Transportation to form public-private partnerships including naming rights. HB 702 passed 120-0. Representative Justis Gibbs (D – Jackson) presented House Bill 1669, which would revise the qualifications for assistant teachers. HB 1669 passed 118-0.

Governor Tate Reeves delivered his fifth State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature on Monday night. In his speech, Reeves spoke of the two Mississippi Major Economic Impact projects passed earlier this year, and he encouraged the Legislature to continue focusing on economic development, infrastructure and education.
On Wednesday, the House presented Ameshya Williams-Holliday with House Resolution 37. The resolution commends and congratulates the former Jackson State standout for many accomplishments, including being the first Mississippi HBCU player drafted by the WNBA.

Other visitors this week included NASA’s Stennis Space Center; the Blue Mountain School Girls Basketball Team; the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks; the Association of Mississippi Midwives; Mississippi Farm Bureau; and the Mississippi State Troopers Association

 

Week of February 19, 2024

This was the eighth week of the 2024 Legislative Session. The deadline for introducing general bills and constitutional amendments was on Monday night.

Next week, committees will meet even more frequently as the Legislature approaches the next deadline. After Tuesday, March 5, no additional bills will be added to the House calendar, and members will meet in session for longer periods to discuss the bills that have made it out of committee. If a bill is not passed out of committee by this deadline, it is considered dead.

Although most work is still happening in committees, the House was busy taking up legislation this week.

House Bill 922 would make the office of county election commissioner nonpartisan. The bill passed the House by a vote of 112-6 before being held on a motion to reconsider.

House Bill 1035 would amend the “Nonpartisan Judicial Election Act” to include justice court judges. The bill passed 106-11 before being held on a motion to reconsider.

House Bill 438 would increase the penalty for shoplifting. Currently, the fine for the first shoplifting conviction is $1,000, the fine for the second is $2,500 and the fine for the third is $3,000. Under HB 438, these would increase to $1,500, $3,000 and $4,000, respectively. The bill passed by a vote of 89-28, and it has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 313 would create the Board of Cosmetology and Barbering to regulate their respective professions. There are two separate boards which oversee cosmetologists and barbers, and HB 313 would combine them into one board. The bill passed 115-0 and has been sent to the Senate.

House Bill 1105 would remove the prohibition on using the words “partnership” and “limited partnership” when providing a name for a limited liability company. HB 1105 passed unanimously 120-0 and will now go to the Senate.

Eight Representatives presented bills for the first time before the House:

• Representative Justin Keen (R – Byhalia) presented House Bill 697, or the Mississippi Aviation Safety Act.
• Representative Josh Hawkins (R – Batesville) presented House Bill 940, which would revise publication and bid requirements for Design-Build projects for the Mississippi Transportation Commission.
• Representative Steve Lott (R – Lucedale) presented House Bill 751, which would extend the repealer on the authority of the Commissioner of Public Safety to create a voluntary inspection program of commercial motor vehicles.
• Representative Fabian Nelson (D – Jackson) presented House Bill 873, which would establish the Purple Alert as an additional means to aid the search for missing persons with cognitive disabilities.
• Representative Grace Butler-Washington (D – Jackson) presented House Bill 1121, which would make minor, non-substantive changes regarding the swearing-in of state officers.
• Representative Chuck Blackwell (R – Ellisville) presented House Bill 1149, which would authorize counties to only maintain an electronic format of law books in county courtrooms and public county law libraries.
• Representative Clay Mansell (R – Clinton) presented House Bill 628, which would extend the repealer on the statute granting persons the right to access public records.
• Representative Kimberly Remak (R – Olive Branch) presented House Bill 653, which would extend the expiration date of the moratorium on the application of the trip optimizer system to state agencies.

On Tuesday, the House Medicaid Committee conducted a hearing on the potential impact of Medicaid expansion for Mississippi workers. The House State Affairs Committee also conducted a hearing this week on Mississippi’s Certificate of Need. Both issues greatly impact the state’s health care system.

Last week, the House passed House Concurrent Resolution 29, calling for a joint session of the Legislature to hear the State of the State address from Governor Tate Reeves. The address is scheduled for Monday, February 26 at 5 p.m. and will be held on the south steps of the Capitol, weather permitting.

Visitors this week included the Jackson Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Mississippi Valley State University, the Department of Child Protective Services, the DuBard School of Language Disorders at USM, the Florence High School Dance Team, the Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce, the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi and Delta State University.

 

Week of February 12, 2024

This was the seventh week of the 2024 Legislative Session. Members worked throughout the week dropping bills and meeting in committee. After Monday, February 19, no new general bills or constitutional amendments can be introduced. More than 1,200 House bills have been filed already. Despite how early it is in session, committees continued to meet, and several bills were introduced before the whole House.

House Bill 286 would remove the statute of limitations on sexual battery if DNA evidence is discovered. Currently, the statute of limitations for sexual battery is two years. The bill passed with little debate by a vote of 121-0 before being held on a motion to reconsider.

Two bills that would add celebrations to our state calendar were introduced. House Bill 124 would designate the fourth Thursday in March as “Tuskegee Airmen Day.” While it would not be a legal state holiday, the day would honor and recognize the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. HB 124 passed the House unanimously and has been sent to the Senate. House Bill 365 would designate the month of March as “Mississippi Musicians Month.” The bill passed 118-0.

Three Representatives presented bills for the first time before the House. Representative Jimmy Fondren (R – Pascagoula) presented House Bill 526, which would allow hunters to wear fluorescent pink as an alternative to orange. The bill passed 110-4. Representative Rodney Hall (R – Southaven) presented House Bill 80, or the Zeb Hughes Law, which would create a presumption of death for missing persons who have undergone a catastrophic event. Hughes, for whom the bill is named, and Gunner Palmer were two young men from Copiah County who went missing in December 2020 after scouting duck hunting locations on the Mississippi River. HB 80 passed unanimously 121-0. Representative Zachary Grady (R – D’Iberville) presented House Bill 1004, which would revise definitions for the provisions of law that regulate the sex offender registry. The bill passed unanimously 119-0.

On Tuesday, former Representative Alyce G. Clarke of Jackson was honored by the House of Representatives and other community leaders with the hanging of her portrait in the House Education Committee Room. Ms. Clarke was the first African American woman elected to the Mississippi Legislature. During her 38 years in the House, she implemented the federal WIC food program, established drug courts, organized school breakfasts and championed the state lottery system. She is the first woman and first African American to have a portrait in the State Capitol.

On Thursday, the House honored the Louisville High School Football team for winning the 2023 MHSAA Class 4A State Championship. Representative Carl Mickens (D – Brooksville) presented Coach Tyrone Shorter with House Resolution 29, which congratulated the team on its accomplishment.

Other visitors this week included Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Alcorn State University Purple and Gold Day, Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable, Mississippi State Medical Association, Mississippi Association of Physicians Assistants, Mississippi Psychiatric Association, DeSoto County Economic Development Council and Mississippi Public Broadcasting.

 

Week of February 5, 2024

This was the sixth week of the 2024 Legislative Session. House members had a busy week full of committee meetings. The deadline for the introduction of general bills and constitutional amendments is Monday, February 19, so members will remain busy over the next few weeks deciding which drafted bills will make it onto the House floor. This week, several bills were brought out of committee ahead of the deadline.

The Mississippi Prior Authorization Reform Act, or Senate Bill 2140, would regulate how insurance companies can use prior authorization, which is when a doctor or provider must check with a patient’s insurance to see if certain non-emergent medications or procedures are covered. The bill would require insurance companies to create a web portal for doctors to submit prior authorization applications. SB 2140 passed by a vote of 115-0 and has been returned to the Senate for concurrence.

House Bill 777 would end the alcohol prohibition as state policy and would automatically legalize the sale of wine and spirits in municipalities with less than 5,000 residents. Currently, cities with more than 5,000 residents in “dry” counties can vote to become a “wet” city. HB 777 would allow these smaller municipalities to opt back into being dry if they place a referendum on their local ballot. The bill passed by a vote of 93-21 and has been sent to the Senate.

House Bill 331 would authorize counties and municipalities to choose not to require construction permits. Proponents of the bill said this would cut down on red tape and give more freedom to residents. Opponents argued that these permits are safeguards that guarantee that the construction work is done correctly. The bill passed 82-29 and will now go to the Senate.

House Bill 970 would extend the date of repealers on the services and managed care provisions of the Mississippi Division of Medicaid. This bill is usually referred to as the “Medicaid Tech” bill, and it outlines the framework for the Division of Medicaid. HB 970 passed by a unanimous vote of 119-0 and has been sent to the Senate.

The House also adopted House Concurrent Resolution 26, which is the Joint Rules for the Legislature. These rules are updated every four years at the start of a new term contain the procedures the Legislature must follow. After adopting Amendment 2, HCR 26 passed 118-0.

Two Representatives presented bills for the first time before the House. Representative Elliot Burch (R – Leakesville) presented House Bill 295, which would authorize the use of electronic search warrant applications and signatures. The bill passed 83-35 before being held on a motion to reconsider. Representative Celeste Hurst (R – Sandhill) presented House Bill 634, which would allow an employing agency to determine the amount to be paid for a sidearm of a retired or deceased law enforcement officer. HB 295 passed 117-1 and has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

With the Dixie National Rodeo in the Jackson area next week, Miss Rodeo America 2024 Emma Cameron and Miss Dixie National 2024 Emma Watts were recognized by the House for their accomplishments.

Visitors this week included the Mississippi Arts Commission, Leadership Jones County, the Mississippi Court Reporters Association, Mississippi 4-H Officers and Ambassadors, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians.

 

Week of January 29, 2024

This was the fifth week of the 2024 Legislative Session. Because it is early in the session, committees are just starting to meet as bills are still being drafted, so floor action has been light. Bills must be passed out of committee before they are considered by the entire House. The deadline for bill introduction is Monday, February 19, and the deadline for bills to be out of committee is Tuesday, March 5. Despite most work still happening in committees, two bills reached the House floor.

House Bill 539 would allow presumptive eligibility for prenatal care under Medicaid for pregnant women whose household incomes are 194% below the federal poverty line. These women could receive care for 60 days while the Mississippi Division of Medicaid is reviewing their applications. A qualified provider (e.g., the Health Department, a doctor trained in the process, etc.) would have to deem the woman eligible to receive the benefits by confirming the pregnancy and determining her income level. The bill passed the House by a vote of 117-5.

Online sports betting would become legal in Mississippi under House Bill 774, or the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act. The bill would require online sportsbooks like BetMGM, FanDuel or DraftKings to partner with an existing casino in Mississippi. This would ensure that money is staying at brick-and-mortar locations. In-person sports betting at physical casinos is currently legal. Gaming Chairman Casey Eure (R – Saucier) introduced Amendment 1, which added that the revenue collected by the state would go towards the Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund, and the amendment passed on a voice vote. Representative Robert L. Johnson, III introduced Amendment 2, which would have given the gross revenue from a wager to the casino within a 40-mile radius from the placed bet instead of the casino with which the platform has partnered. Amendment 2 was tabled by a vote of 77-35. The bill passed the House by a vote of 98-14.

Visitors this week included Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Mississippi Occupational Therapy Association, Hancock Youth Leadership, Miss Capital City Becky Williams and the Mississippi Podiatric Medical Association.

 

Week of January 22, 2024

2024 Second Extraordinary Session

This was the fourth week of the 2024 Legislative Session.

On Wednesday, January 24, Governor Tate Reeves called an extraordinary session of the Legislature on Thursday. This was his second special session in seven days, and it was dedicated to another major economic development project.

“Project Atlas,” which was revealed to be Amazon Web Services, is a $10 billion corporate capital investment, the largest in state history, and is expected to bring 1,000 jobs to Mississippi. The project will include hyperscale data center complexes in two Madison County industrial parks, one near the Nissan plant and one near I-220 in Ridgeland.

The package from the state includes training grants, site development support, public infrastructure commitments and certain tax incentives.

Upon gaveling in at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee introduced two bills: House Bill 1 and House Bill 2. The bills create the Project Atlas Fund in the State Treasury and appropriate $44 million to the Mississippi Development Authority to fund the project. Both bills passed the House with bipartisan support and were sent to the Senate.

The Senate Finance Committee introduced Senate Bill 2001, which outlines the project and provides incentives to Amazon Web Services. Some of the state commitments include a 10-year, 100 percent corporate income tax exemption and 30-year rolling state tax exemptions. SB 2001 reached the House floor on Thursday afternoon to little debate. An amendment was introduced, but it was tabled. SB 2001 passed the House 120-2.

Governor Reeves is expected to sign the three bills into law in the next week. The House adjourned sine die from the special session on Thursday afternoon.

The House also took up House Concurrent Resolution 11, which would restore the ballot initiative process in Mississippi. The new process would require signatures of eight percent of registered voters for a measure to be placed on the ballot. Citizens would not be able to make changes to the state constitution, abortion laws, the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) or any local or special laws. The Legislature would also have the power to place an amended version of the initiative on the ballot. These exceptions were the source of debate on the House floor on Wednesday. Opponents argued that the stipulations were limiting citizens’ voices and their chance to participate in direct democracy, while proponents of the resolution said that this was still giving power back to the voters. After two amendments were tabled, HCR 11 passed by a vote of 80-40 and has been sent to the Senate. The previous ballot initiative was struck down in May 2021 by the Mississippi Supreme Court.

 

Week of January 15, 2024

2024 First Extraordinary Session

This was the third week of the 2024 Legislative Session. Despite winter weather across much of Mississippi, the Legislature met throughout the week.

On Wednesday, Governor Tate Reeves called an extraordinary, or special, session of the Legislature for Thursday, January 18. A special session is a meeting of the legislature outside the parameters of a normal session, and the governor decides the subject and matters that will be considered. Usually, a special session takes place when the Legislature is not already in session. This special session was dedicated to a major economic development project.

“Project Poppy” is a $1.9 billion corporate capital investment, the second largest in state history, bringing approximately 2,000 jobs to Marshall County. The average salary is expected to be $66,000. The total payroll for these jobs is expected to be the largest payroll commitment of a major project in state history.

The project is a joint venture of Accelera by Cummins, Inc., Daimler Trucks & Buses and PACCAR. Each of these companies will own 30 percent of the joint venture. The remaining ten percent is owned by EVE Energy, which will serve as the technology partner. The plant will build batteries for electric commercial vehicles, such as 18-wheelers, and it will be located north of Byhalia at the Chickasaw Trail Industrial Park on a 500-acre plot.

The package from the state includes infrastructure improvements, site preparation and certain tax incentives. If benchmarks are not met, the joint venture agrees to pay the state back in full.

Upon gaveling in at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, the House Ways and Means Committee met to introduce House Bill 1, which outlines the project and provides certain incentives to the companies. HB 1 authorizes the issuance of state bonds of approximately $482 million for the project.

The Senate Appropriations Committee introduced two bills: Senate Bill 2001 and Senate Bill 2002. SB 2001 creates the Project Poppy Fund, a special fund in the State Treasury for this project, while SB 2002 appropriates $117.6 million to the Mississippi Development Authority to fund “Project Poppy.” Both bills passed the full Senate and were released to the House.

The House convened to discuss the three bills, which all passed by a bipartisan vote. House Minority Leader Robert L. Johnson, III, (D – Natchez) introduced two amendments to HB 1. Amendment 1 would require that at least 70 percent of the project’s workforce be Mississippi residents, while Amendment 2 would require the companies to make extra investments in the community surrounding the plant. Both amendments failed, and House Bill 1 was sent to the Senate without changes.

Governor Reeves is expected to sign the bills into law. The House adjourned sine die from the special session on Thursday afternoon.

Speaker Jason White announced on Friday that committee assignments of Appropriations B, C, D and E will be completed next week. These committees are new standing House committees that are comprised of members of the full Appropriations Committee (Appropriations A).

 

Week of January 8, 2024

This was the second week of the 2024 Legislative Session. On Friday, Speaker Jason White made the much-anticipated announcement of committee assignments. With this announcement, legislators will now begin meeting in their respective committees. The deadline for general bill introductions is not until Monday, February 19, and committees will meet more frequently after this deadline.

On Thursday, January 11, former Speaker Philip Gunn, along with dozens of lawmakers, colleagues, friends and family, gathered on the southwest side of the State Capitol grounds for a tree dedication ceremony. During the ceremony, remarks were delivered by former Chief of Staff Nathan Wells and Gunn’s successor, Speaker Jason White. An invocation was given by Dr. Greg Belser, Gunn’s pastor at Morrison Heights Baptist Church. Gunn also delivered what he deemed his “tree speech” where he thanked his family, colleagues and staff for their support and guidance. Planting a tree at the Capitol upon leaving office is a tradition that dates back many years, and it is open only to speakers and lieutenant governors, except in very rare circumstances. The tree chosen by the 61st Speaker was a 15-foot red oak. Capitol curator Brenda Davis and Schoggen Scapes, Inc. worked to secure the tree, which came from a farm in south Mississippi.

The House passed House Resolution 6 congratulating Randy C. Ginn upon his retirement as Colonel/Director of the Mississippi Highway Patrol and Assistant Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Colonel Ginn was joined by family and friends on Thursday as the House presented him with HR 6. He served with the Mississippi Highway Patrol for 36 years.

The second Inauguration of Governor Tate Reeves was held Tuesday morning before a joint session of the House and Senate on the south steps of the Capitol. In his inaugural address, Governor Reeves spoke of progress in education, tax cuts and economic development, while also highlighting areas in need of improvement such as college graduates leaving the state to pursue careers.

Visitors to the Capitol this week included Mississippi Municipal League, Lowndes Young Leaders and Leadership Vicksburg.

Week of January 1, 2024

On January 2, 2024, the Mississippi State Legislature began the first session of the new four-year term. Per the Constitution of the State of Mississippi, the first session of every term is scheduled to last 125 days, as opposed to 90 days. This is to accommodate inaugurations, new committee assignments and procedural matters like choosing parking spaces and offices.

 

 

UPDATES from the 2023 Session:

Week of March 13, 2023

This was the eleventh week of the 2023 Legislative Session. Because it is late in the session, much of the week was spent deciding whether to concur with any changes made to House bills by the Senate or to invite conference on those bills. In conference committees, representatives and senators work together to finalize the details of each bill before they are sent to the governor. Included in the bills being sent to conference are most of the revenue and appropriations bills from the House and Senate, which will decide the state’s budget.

Several bills were passed concurring with changes made in the Senate, including House Bill 1222, or the Mississippi Collaborative Response to Mental Health Act. The bill would require each municipality and county law enforcement agency to provide mental health training to all officers by 2031. There is also a requirement that these law enforcement agencies must employ at least one Crisis Intervention Team Officer by the year 2025. The House concurred with the changes made in the Senate, and it passed unanimously 114-0. It has been sent to the governor for his signature.

On Thursday, the House was privileged to honor James Anderson of Holmes County with House Resolution 121. Mr. Anderson is a World War II veteran who will celebrate his 100^th birthday in September. He was joined by family, friends and the House Military Affairs Committee as Representative Bryant Clark (D – Pickens) presented the resolution.

House Resolution 38 was presented on Tuesday to the Southern District Transportation Commissioner and former House member Tom King. HR 38 commends Commissioner King on his 31 years of public service and congratulates him upon his retirement. He was joined by his family members as Representative Missy McGee (R - Hattiesburg) presented him with the resolution.

On Monday, Governor Tate Reeves signed House Bill 1027 into law, which designates the blueberry as the official state fruit. After learning that Mississippi did not have a state fruit in a civics lesson, a fourth-grade class at Mannsdale Upper Elementary School in Madison contacted Representative Jill Ford (R – Madison). The students were able to see the bill-making process from beginning to end, coming to the Capitol several times this session, including on Monday for the bill signing.

Next week as the session begins to wind down, legislators will spend much of their time in conference committees ironing out the final details of bills that were sent to conference. These conference committees will then have to file reports before the end of session.

 

Week of March 6, 2023

This was the tenth week of the 2023 Legislative Session. Wednesday was the deadline for the House to discuss general Senate bills. Any Senate bills that did not make it off the calendar and before the House died. The deadline to discuss Senate appropriations and revenue bills will occur next Tuesday, March 14.

Senate Bill 2212 would extend postpartum Medicaid coverage for new mothers from 60 days to a full year. Proponents of the bill said that the extension would improve Mississippi’s infant and maternal mortality rates, currently some of the highest in the United States. Opponents argued that the bill could open the door for a full expansion of Medicaid. The bill passed by a vote of 92-27 and has been returned to the Senate. Governor Tate Reeves has indicated that he would sign postpartum Medicaid expansion into law should the Legislature pass it.

A ballot initiative process could be restored under Senate Concurrent Resolution 533. Unlike the former process, SCR 533 would allow for statutory changes, or changes to the law, rather than an amendment to the constitution. A House amendment was adopted lowering the threshold of signatures needed from 12 percent of registered voters to 12 percent of the number of voters in the last gubernatorial election. The former ballot initiative process was deemed invalid by the Mississippi Supreme Court in 2021 based on the technicality that the number of Congressional districts had gone from five to four, and the language was not updated in the initiative process. SCR 533 passed 77-9 with many members voting present. The concurrent resolution will go to conference for further revisions before the session is over.

Other Senate bills that passed the House included a bill to ban ballot harvesting (SB 2358), a bill to allow armed educators in schools (SB 2079), a bill to create a Public Funds Offender Registry (SB 2420), a bill to revise the boundary lines of the Capitol Complex Improvement District (SB 2343), a bill that would revise the penalty for motor vehicle theft (SB 2099) and the Mississippi Regional Pre-Need Disaster Clean Up Act (SB 2538).

On Thursday, the House took up the Senate’s half of the state budget, which includes the Departments of Finance and Administration, Banking and Consumer Finance, Revenue, Mental Health, Corrections and Public Safety. These are all preliminary budgets, and the bills include reverse repealers, a clause that will send the bill to conference to be discussed further. Many of these bills were taken up in a block to speed up the process.

Several local and private bills were also taken up this week. These bills dealt with a variety of topics such as authorizing certain cities and counties to make various contributions to local organizations and extending repealers on certain cities’ tourism taxes. The deadline for the House to introduce these local and private revenue bills is Friday, March 17. Local and private bills that are not deemed revenue bills have until Friday, March 24 to be introduced.

The calendar also included several House bills that were passed earlier in the session, sent to the Senate and are now back before the House. With this process, the representatives will vote on whether to agree with the changes the Senate made, or to invite conference for possible further revisions before becoming law or dying.

On Tuesday, the House honored Forest native Constance Slaughter-Harvey with House Resolution 37. The resolution commends Ms. Slaughter-Harvey on her impressive civil rights activism and legal career in the State of Mississippi. Among her many accomplishments, she was the first African American female to graduate from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1970. Ms. Slaughter-Harvey was presented with HR 37 by Representative Tom Miles (D – Forest) and Representative Earle Banks (D – Jackson).

Other visitors at the Capitol this week included the SWAC Champion football, soccer and track teams of Jackson State University; Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; the Mississippi Library Association; the Mississippi Arts Commission; Miss Biloxi Katelyn Perry; and Leadership Madison County.

 

Week of February 27, 2023

This was the ninth week of the 2023 Legislative Session. The deadline for House committees to report general bills originating from the Senate occurred Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. Any Senate bills that did not make it out of committee died. Members worked on these Senate bills on the House floor, and the deadline for these bills to be passed is next Wednesday, March 8.

Senate Bill 2781 would create the Mississippi Access to Maternal Assistance Program under the Department of Health, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Child Protective Services and the Division of Medicaid. The program would provide information and services related to pregnancy, childbirth and childcare for expectant mothers and new parents. The House passed the bill by a vote of 113-4 and has been returned to the Senate.

Senate Bill 2323 would allow for consolidation and collaboration among community hospitals around the state. The bill passed initially with little debate by a vote of 107-2, but several members asked for unanimous consent to change their vote on the bill, making the final tally 90-22. SB 2323 has been returned to the Senate for concurrence or to invite conference.

Contract workers employed by the State of Mississippi would be allowed to purchase the base plan of the State and School Employees’ Health Insurance Plan under Senate Bill 2615. The worker must pay full price of the plan without contribution from their employer, and employers must offer this to any state contract worker who works at least 130 hours per month. SB 2615 passed the House 88-17.

Senate Bill 2623 would create the Mississippi State and School Employees’ Life and Health Insurance Plan Task Force to study the current insurance plans and make recommendations about possible changes. The bill passed 110-6 and has been returned to the Senate.

Senate Bill 2700 would provide homestead exemption for unremarried surviving spouses of military members killed on active duty or training. SB 2700 passed unanimously by a vote of 117-4.

The Mississippi Vulnerable Persons Abuse Registry would be created under Senate Bill 2652. The bill is the Senate equivalent to House Bill 1392, which passed unanimously earlier in the session. SB 2652 passed by a vote of 118-1.

Senate Bill 2140, or the National Security on State Devices and Networks Act, would regulate what could be downloaded to a state-issued device. This includes any information technology that could pose a security risk to the United States and/or the State of Mississippi. The bill passed 117-2.

Several bills from the Local and Private committee were also taken up this week. The bills mostly dealt with tourism taxes in municipalities and counties across the state.

The House will continue to work on bills originating from the Senate until the deadline next Wednesday. All Senate bills approved by the House will be sent back with changes to the Senate where they can concur with the changes or invite conference. There are more than 60 Senate bills remaining on the House calendar that must be dealt with by next Wednesday.

Visitors this week included the American Red Cross; the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks; Mississippi Delta Community College; the Mississippi Main Street Association; fourth graders from Mannsdale Upper Elementary School; the National Champion Northwest Rankin High School Cheer Squad; and the 3A State Champion Raleigh High School Football Team.

 

Week of February 20, 2023

This was the eighth week of the 2023 Legislative Session. Wednesday, Feb. 22 marked the deadline for original floor action on House appropriations and revenue bills. While most of these bills were taken up last week, a few were discussed before Wednesday’s deadline.

House Bill 1671 would provide tax credits for businesses and individuals for making contributions to crisis pregnancy centers. After two amendments were tabled that would expand postpartum Medicaid coverage and increase TANF benefits, a motion to the previous question was made, thus ending debate on the bill. The bill passed 104-9 and has been sent to the Senate.

House Bill 1721 would appropriate funding to the Department of Health to provide funding to Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson to establish a burn center. Before being amended, the bill originally appropriated funds to the University of Mississippi Medical Center for a burn unit. HB 1721 passed the House 102-11 and has been transmitted to the Senate.

Two bills would appropriate funds to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. House Bill 1720 would give funding to the medical center for the renovation of the psychiatric program facility, and House Bill 1722 would give funding for the repair and renovation of the School of Dentistry. Both bills passed the House by votes of 113-5 and have been sent to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 1715 would appropriate funds to the Department of Health to fund the ARPA Rural Water Associations Infrastructure Grant Program. House Bill 1716 would appropriate funds to the Department of Environmental Quality to fund the Mississippi Municipality and County Water Infrastructure Grant Program. Both bills passed the House overwhelmingly.

House Bill 1702 would exempt sales of books at the Mississippi Book Festival from sales tax. Known as the “Literary Lawn Party”, the Book Festival is held every year in August inside the Capitol and on the Capitol grounds. Independent booksellers and authors from across the state sell books during the festival. HB 1702 passed unanimously by a vote of 117-0.

Committees also began to meet again this week to discuss general bills originating in the Senate. Before the deadline on Tuesday, Feb. 28, Senate bills will come out of House committees and onto the House floor for discussion. While the deadline to pass these Senate general bills on the floor is a few weeks away, more than 30 Senate bills were discussed this week.

Several bills regarding elections were introduced this week. Senate Bill 2352 would penalize any person who fraudulently requests or submits an absentee ballot. SB 2352 passed the House 81-36, and it has been returned to the Senate. Senate Bill 2353 would increase the wages for poll managers and workers. SB 2353 passed by a vote of 113-5 and has been returned to the Senate. Senate Bill 2358 would ban certain instances of ballot harvesting, a practice in which a person other than the voter turns in an absentee ballot. The bill would authorize election officials, U.S. Postal workers and family members or caregivers to deliver these absentee ballots. After much discussion, the bill was laid on the table subject to call.

Two segments of highways would be named in memory of outstanding Mississippians under Senate Bill 2002. A portion of Highway 45 in Lowndes County would be named “PFC Bradford C. Freeman Memorial Highway,” in memory of deceased World War II veteran Bradford Freeman of Caledonia. Freeman, who passed away in July 2022, was the last surviving member of the paratroop company featured in the best-selling book and subsequent mini-series Band of Brothers. A section of Interstate 220 North in Hinds County would be designated as the “Senator Douglas Anderson Memorial Highway” in memory of former legislator Douglas Anderson who passed away in 2013. Senator Anderson served in the Legislature from 1976 to 1993.

Senate Bill 2562 would allow public and private partnerships to establish electric vehicle charging stations and would allow the Mississippi Transportation Commission to provide grants to companies that provide electric vehicle charging stations. The bill is the Senate equivalent of House Bill 986, which was passed earlier this session. SB 2562 passed by a vote of 110-6.

Senate Bill 2569 would allow and regulate autonomous vehicles in the state. The bill is similar to House Bill 1003, or the MS FAVE Act of 2023. SB 2569 passed by a vote of 115-1.

Senate Bill 2853 would prohibit the state from purchasing drones made in China and would require that small, unmanned aircrafts only be purchased and serviced from American companies. SB 2853 passed the House by a vote of 109-0, and it has been returned to the Senate.

Senate Bill 2433 would exempt eligible homeowner associations from regulation of public utilities if the neighborhood has access to a well and can provide its own water to residents. The bill passed by a vote of 76-36 before being held on a motion to reconsider.

The House was visited this week by Alcorn State University for their annual Purple and Gold Capitol Day. Other visitors to the Capitol included the Council of State Governments, school groups from across the state, UMMC’s Child Health and Development Project Fellows and the University of Mississippi wind ensemble.

 

Week of February 13, 2023

This was the seventh week of the 2023 Legislative Session. With general bills out of the way, representatives began working on appropriations and revenue bills. The appropriations bills will determine how much money is given to various state agencies.

The House is responsible for looking at the preliminary budgets of about 50 state agencies, including the Departments of Insurance, Transportation, Medicaid, Health, Education and Human Services. These bills represent half of the state’s budget; the other half is currently being considered by the Senate and will be sent to the House for consideration at a later point in the session.

Budget bills include reverse repealers, a clause that ensures that a bill cannot become law before going to a conference committee for further revisions. With reverse repealers in place, many appropriations bills were voted on in a block to help speed up the process.

The FY23 budgets for these state agencies are recommended by the Legislative Budget Office. These budgets will not be final until the conference deadline of Saturday, March 25.

The House Ways and Means committee took up a bill on the House floor this week. House Bill 1648 would increase the amount of tax credits that can be allocated under the Mississippi Small Business Investment Company Act. The bill passed by a vote of 112-6.

Several bills from the Local and Private committee were also taken up this week. The bills mostly dealt with extending the repeal dates for tourism taxes in municipalities across the state.

The deadline for original floor action on House appropriations and revenue bills is next Wednesday, Feb. 22. After that, House committees will begin considering general bills which passed through the Senate.

The House welcomed a new member who won a special election in January. Representative Perry Bailey (District 23) was sworn in before the start of session by Speaker Philip Gunn. District 23 was left open in September when former House member Jim Beckett was appointed by Governor Tate Reeves to executive director of Public Utilities Staff. The seat for House District 72 remains vacant at this time.

On Tuesday, the House presented Ambassador Javlon Vakhabov from Uzbekistan with House Resolution 70. The resolution honors the successful 10-year partnership between the Mississippi National Guard and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The House was also visited by Mississippi Valley State University this week for their annual Green and White Capitol Day. Dr. Jerryl Briggs, Sr., President of MVSU, and SGA President Keyjuan Meeks both gave remarks about the university and its progress.

 

Week of February 6, 2023

This was the sixth week of the 2023 Legislative Session, and it proved to be the busiest thus far. The House met as a whole throughout the week to discuss bills that made it out of committee and onto the calendar. Thursday, Feb. 9 was the deadline for members to introduce and discuss these general bills. Any bills not discussed in session by this deadline died on the calendar. The almost 150 bills that were considered dealt with a wide range of topics.

The most debated bill this week was House Bill 1020. The bill would create inferior courts in the Capitol Complex Improvement District, a portion of the city of Jackson, to hear criminal and civil cases within the CCID. The chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court would appoint two judges to this new district, the attorney general would appoint four prosecutors, the state defender would appoint public defenders, and various other court staff would be appointed as well. Proponents of the bill said that the bill would help with the current backlog in the court system due to crime in Jackson. Opponents argued that the CCID is located in majority-white neighborhoods in a majority-black city and that the appointments of the court officials would strip Jacksonians of their right to elect judges and prosecutors. After almost five hours of debate, the bill passed with a vote of 76-37 before being held on a motion to reconsider. That motion was tabled the next day by a vote of 76-37, and HB 1020 has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

After causing some debate and being laid on the table subject to call earlier in the session, House Bill 370 came back before the House on Thursday. The bill would have authorized a removal process of municipal elected officials using the same process of removal of county elected officers. The bill failed by a vote of 54-60.

House Bill 1276 would provide for a runoff election for state officials if no candidate receives a majority of the votes. The runoff would be held three weeks after the general election. HB 1276 passed by a vote of 75-39.

House Bill 698 would require equity-based billing on municipal water, wastewater and sewer services. The bill comes after a suggestion that the city of Jackson change to a billing system based on property values instead of water usage. The bill passed by a vote of 83-26 and will now be considered by the Senate.

Penalties for fleeing law enforcement would increase under House Bill 402. The bill comes after several accidents across the state that occurred were caused by police pursuit of a suspect. HB 402 passed by a vote of 85-31.

House Bill 1317 would have authorized pharmacists to test for minor, nonchronic health conditions and administer treatment for those conditions. The conditions included influenza, COVID-19, lice, and skin conditions like ringworm and athlete’s foot. Proponents of the bill said that this would alleviate long waiting room times at a doctor’s office and that pharmacists are knowledgeable about diseases and medicines after going to pharmacy school for four years. Opponents argued that doctors are specifically trained in diagnosing and treating conditions. HB 1317 was tabled, therefore it died on the calendar.

House Bill 1070 would create the Patriotic Education Grant Program under the Department of Education. The program would encourage school districts to teach American history outside of regular school requirements. School districts would be able to apply for grants for activities like after-school clubs, field trips and guest speakers. HB 1070 passed with a vote of 110-6 and will now go to the Senate.

House Bill 1490 would require the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to suspend hunting licenses for people who fail to pay child support. The bill passed 81-29 and has been sent to the Senate.

House Bill 723 would establish the Mississippi Transit Corporation and create a study committee to make recommendations for bus, rail and light rail services in Mississippi. The bill passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 109-7.

Two bills would give Mississippi an official gemstone and an official fruit. House Bill 772 would designate the Mississippi Opal as the official state gemstone. Opal is the only gem found thus far to be naturally occurring in the state. HB 772 passed unanimously and has been sent to the Senate. House Bill 1027 would make the blueberry the official state fruit of Mississippi. Fourth graders from Mannsdale Elementary School in Madison conducted research and discovered that the blueberry is the most grown and sold fruit within the state. The students contacted Representative Jill Ford (R – Madison) who introduced the bill on their behalf. HB 1027 passed by a vote of 110-1 and will now go to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 264 would extend the repealer on the statute requiring certain buildings to meet energy efficiency standards. The bill was introduced by Representative Andy Boyd (R – Columbus) marking his first time presenting a bill from the well. HB 264 passed by a vote of 117-2.

Several bills that passed overwhelmingly with little debate included the following: the Department of Public Safety would be authorized to issue state identification cards to homeless individuals (House Bill 368); language in the Mississippi Code regarding rape would be updated, and spousal exception of rape would be removed (House Bill 995); a domestic abuse court program would be established (House Bill 170); and the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks would be allowed to issue a hunting license to a person whose parents was born in Mississippi and on active duty military service at the time of the applicant’s birth (House Bill 49).

The coming weeks will consist of floor discussion of House appropriations and other revenue bills. The deadline for these types of bills to be sent to the Senate is Wednesday, Feb. 22. The House will then begin work on general originating in the Senate.

Visitors to the House this week included the Mississippi Film Office; Miss Rodeo America Kennadee Diggs, Miss Rodeo Mississippi Jacqueline Ervin and Miss Dixie National Wren Algee; students and teachers from Barack Obama Magnet School; leaders from Mississippi 4-H; Miss Mississippi Emmie Perkins of Hattiesburg; Crusaders for Veterans; Teen Pact; and the Mississippi Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.

 

Week of January 30, 2023

The fifth week of the 2022 Legislative Session proved to be the busiest thus far. Committee meetings to discuss House bills wrapped up early in the week because of Tuesday’s general bills deadline. Members convened in the House Chamber for longer periods to discuss the legislation that made it to the calendar. More than 100 bills were discussed, and they included a wide variety of topics.

The most debated bill this week was House Bill 1168. The bill would alter the allocations of the one percent sales tax in Jackson so that funds go directly to repairing the water system. Currently, this revenue goes to water, sewer, roads and bridges. The tax generates approximately $15 million annually. Proponents of the bill said that the water system is in dire need of repair and this influx of cash would help. The opposition argued that $600 million is already coming from the federal government’s infrastructure plan, and the roads and bridges in Jackson will suffer from the lack of funding. After more than an hour of debate and two failed amendments, HB 1168 passed 76-41 before being held on a motion to reconsider.

Several education bills were passed this week. House Bill 1365 would ensure that assistant teachers receive their pay raises from last year, as well as a new salary minimum of $20,000. House Bill 1369 would adjust the funding formula of MAEP from being based on average student attendance to student enrollment. House Bill 1373, or the “Released-Time Moral Instruction Act of 2023,” would allow school boards to permit students who wish to participate in religious activities during the school day be excused with parental consent. These activities would not take place on school premises, but it would allow parents to take a child to a religious activity one hour a week without repercussions.

House Bill 989 would remove Child Protection Services from the Department of Human Services and make it a separate agency. CPS was established by the legislature in 2016 and was made a subagency of MDHS. The bill passed by a vote of 102-9 and has been sent to the Senate.

House Bill 1167 would revise the residential builder and remodeler license examination requirements for certain applicants. Currently, builders must pass an exam to obtain a license. This would provide an alternative pathway by removing the exam requirement if the applicant has been working for over five years and has three letters of recommendation. The bill passed by a unanimous vote of 110-0.

One bill that failed this week was House Bill 1375. The bill would require that an annexed area of a municipality receive services within three years of the annexation decree. If the services are not met after three years, the annexation would be deemed null and void. The bill required a three-fifths majority to pass and only received a vote of 62-45. It is now being held on a motion to reconsider.

House Bill 1392 would require the Department of Human Services to establish and maintain the Mississippi Vulnerable Persons Abuse Registry. The bill passed as amended by a vote of 113-0.

House Bill 384 would allow local authorities to permit package retail sales on Sundays from 1-6 p.m. This would only apply to wet counties and municipalities under the Local Option Beverage Control Law. HB 384 passed with a vote of 72-39 and has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

The Retailer Tax Fairness Act, or House Bill 735, would give store owners a tax break by not collecting state and local taxes on the 2.5% interchange fee owed to banks and credit card companies when a customer uses a credit card. The bill passed by a vote of 109-2, and it has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 1318 would revise provisions related to baby drop-off and safe haven laws. The maximum age of the infant would be changed to 90 days, and municipalities and counties would be able to sponsor a baby safety device, or “baby box,” for anonymous drop-off. The bill passed unanimously by a vote of 111-0 before being held on a motion to reconsider.

House Bill 1315 would regulate pornographic media exposure to minors by requiring commercial entities to conduct age verification of the consumer. The bill is similar to one passed in the Louisiana Legislature earlier this year. HB 1315 passed with a vote of 111-2.

House Bill 1371 would make it a felony for therapists to have sexual contact with current patients or former patients after up to twelve months of receiving services. The bill caused some debate with opponents arguing that some of the relationships could be consensual. Proponents of the bill countered that this bill was trying to prevent abuse of power by a person rendering services. The bill passed by a vote of 62-47 before being held on a motion to reconsider.

Several bills were passed unanimously with little debate: the Department of Revenue would be authorized to issue electronic titles and liens for motor vehicles and manufactured homes (House Bill 1170); state agencies would have to give preference to Mississippi-made drones, and drones made in China would be prohibited (House Bill 1293); Mississippi would enter into an occupational therapy license compact with several other states for license reciprocity in member states (House Bill 478); and veterans will now be included in provisions under occupational licensing when relating to military members (House Bill 1039).

Floor debate will continue on general bills until the Feb. 9 deadline. After that, discussion will move to appropriations and revenue bills, as well as bills originating in the Senate.

On Tuesday, Representative Alyce Clarke (D – Jackson) asked for a point of personal privilege to speak to the House. From the well, she announced that after almost 38 years of service, she will not be seeking re-election this November. Representative Clarke, who was first elected in March 1985, was the first African American woman to serve in the Mississippi Legislature.

 

Week of January 23, 2023

Committees met frequently during the fourth week of the legislative session, as next Tuesday’s deadline to have House Bills out of their corresponding committees quickly approaches.

After Tuesday, Jan. 31, no additional general bills will be added to the House calendar for consideration. Members will also meet in session for longer periods to discuss the bills that make it out of their respective committees. More than 150 general bills have made it out of committee thus far, and this number should increase before the deadline.

House Bill 1029 would provide that reference to the “Armed Forces” or “Uniformed Services” in the Mississippi Code will also include the United States Space Force. HB 1029 was introduced by Representative Jeffrey Hulum, III (D – Gulfport), marking his first time at the well to present a bill. The bill passed unanimously and has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 626 would authorize county boards of supervisors to expend certain funds in the last six months of their term in office if the county has a project funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to meet the federal spending deadline in 2026. The bill passed 107-5 before being held on a motion to reconsider.

The Mississippi Regional Preneed Disaster Clean Up Act (House Bill 858) would authorize county boards or governing bodies of municipalities to enter into joint bid agreements for disaster clean-up to prepare for disaster-related events. The bill passed 114-5.

Several appropriations bills were passed including House Bill 603 and House Bill 1088 which are both related to the state budget. This was done so that work can begin on the budget which will be finalized towards the end of session.

House Concurrent Resolution 10 was introduced and passed on Wednesday. The concurrent resolution honors the late Representative Noal Akins who passed away in October. He served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 2004 to 2012. Representative Akins is the father of Senator Nicole Akins Boyd (R – Oxford).

The House passed House Concurrent Resolution 31 which authorizes a joint session of the Legislature to next Monday evening to hear Governor Tate Reeves’s annual State of the State address. The address will take place on the south steps of the Capitol, or in the case of inclement weather, in the House Chamber.

 

Week of January 16, 2023

This is the third week of the 2023 Legislative Session. The deadline for introducing general bills and constitutional amendments was on Monday night, and committees will now begin discussing these bills in meetings. Although most work is still happening in committees, several pieces of legislation reached the House floor this week.

House Bill 1125, or the Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedures (REAP) Act, would regulate transgender procedures and surgeries on children under 18. The bill does not apply to individuals born intersex. Proponents of the bill said that this would prevent children from making permanent decisions they could regret later, while opponents argued that this was a step back for transgender rights. After lengthy debate, the bill passed by a vote of 78-28 and has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

Other bills discussed this week include a bill that would exclude fentanyl testing materials from definition of “paraphernalia” under controlled substances (HB 722); a bill that would decrease the minimum number of years of law enforcement experience required to be a conservation officer (HB 516); a bill that would authorize the Department of Finance and Administration to purchase the old First Christian Church building in the Capitol Complex Improvement District (HB 423); and a bill that would designate the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Central Office as the Sam G. Polles State Office Building (HB 366).

On Thursday, the House was visited by the Louisville High School Football Team. Coach Tyrone Shorter and the team were honored with House Resolution 16, which commends them upon winning the 2022 MHSAA Class 4A State Championship.

Next week, committees will meet even more frequently as the Legislature approaches the next deadline. After Tuesday, Jan. 31, no additional bills will be added to the House calendar for consideration, and members will meet in session for longer periods to discuss the bills that have made it out of committees.

Week of January 9, 2023

This is the second week of the 2023 Legislative Session. Even though it is early in the session, there were several bills discussed on the House floor.

One bill that caused some debate was House Bill 370. The bill would authorize the removal of municipal elected officials using the same process of removal of county elected officers. Currently, elected officials of municipalities are the only elected officials in the state not subject to a removal process under state law. To remove a municipal official under HB 370, 30 percent of eligible voters would sign a petition that would then be sent to the governor. The governor would then appoint a panel of three judges to determine the validity of the petition. If granted, an election would be held for voters to decide on removal. Proponents of HB 370 stated that it is another form of checks and balances on municipal officials that all other elected officials in the state are subject to. Opponents argued that 30 percent of voters is not a majority, and elections every four years are the way to hold officials accountable. The bill was laid on the table subject to call.

House Bill 266 would name the Department of Public Safety Headquarters office in honor of the late Commissioner David R. Huggins, who also served as chief of the Mississippi Highway Patrol. During the floor action on the bill, Amendment 1 was introduced naming the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory in Pearl after Representative Tom Weathersby (R – Florence). The bill passed as amended by a unanimous vote of 116-0, and Representative Weathersby received a standing ovation from his fellow House members.

Two bills from the Ways and Means Committee were introduced on Thursday: House Bill 390 and House Bill 401. HB 390 would revise certain provisions regarding the historic property income tax credit. HB 401 would revise provisions in the Mississippi Motor Vehicle Commission Law relating to a manufacturer’s ownership of a motor vehicle dealership. Both bills passed the House by a large majority.

The deadline for the introduction of general bills and constitutional amendments is Monday, January 16, so many committees are waiting until all bills are filed to hold meetings. Floor action will pick up next week as bills are brought out of committee. Bills must be passed out of committee before they are considered by the House.

 

Week of January 2, 2023

On January 3, 2023, the Mississippi State Legislature began the fourth and final session in its four-year term. Though it is early in the session, there were three resolutions taken up on the House floor. These resolutions honored Mississippians who have made a positive impact on their communities.

On Wednesday, the Capitol was visited by Chapel Hart, the country music trio originally from Poplarville. House Resolution 2 honors the singing group for their many accomplishments and positive representation of Mississippi. After being recognized in the House and Senate, the members of Chapel Hart, sisters Danica and Devynn Hart and first cousin Trea Swindle, performed several songs for legislators, staffers and visitors in the Capitol rotunda. Chapel Hart first made waves in 2022 for receiving a “Group Golden Buzzer” during their audition on America’s Got Talent. The group has since performed at the Grand Ole Opry and is about to embark on a sixty-show nationwide tour.

House Resolution 1 congratulates the Jackson Preparatory School Varsity Baseball team on their fifth-consecutive 6A MAIS State Championship. The players and coaches were recognized in the gallery on Wednesday morning.

Also on Wednesday, the House recognized Reverend Dr. Lisa Allen-McLaurin with House Resolution 3. Reverend Dr. Allen-McLaurin has recently been named the music scholar-in-residence and interim choral director at the American Church in Paris, France. The Jackson native is an Emmy and Webby award-winning pastor who serves as the Coordinator of Practical Ministries for the Sixth Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church as well as other roles at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta.

The House has added members to its roster since the 2022 Legislative Session as the result of special elections. Jeffery Hulum, III (D – Gulfport) is the new representative for District 119 replacing Representative Sonya Williams-Barnes who resigned in March 2022. Andy Boyd (R – Columbus) fills the District 37 seat following the passing of Representative Lynn Wright in June. There are still two vacancies in the House (Districts 23 and 72), which will be filled after special elections in the coming weeks.

Next Wednesday, January 11, is the deadline to request legislation, and Monday, January 16, is the deadline for filing general bills. More than 200 House bills have already been filed and referred to committees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATES from the 2022 Session:  The House adjourned Sine Die on April 5th, 2022

Week of April 4, 2022

This was the final week of the 2022 Legislative Session. Legislators completed the last day on Tuesday, April 5, after working past the initial deadlines to negotiate the more than $7 billion state budget. Many monumental pieces of legislation made it through the process this year. Bills are either awaiting the governor’s signature or have already been signed.

The largest tax cut in state history will be realized thanks to the House’s Mississippi Tax Freedom Act. Each year, $525 million will be cut until 2026. By that time, Mississippi will have the fifth best marginal tax rate of states with a personal income tax. This legislation provides a path for total elimination of the income tax.

Mississippi teachers will be getting their largest pay raise in state history under the House’s START Act. The average pay raise for teachers is $5,140, and teacher assistants will get a bump of $2,000. Starting salary for Mississippi teachers is now well above both the regional and national averages.

The Legislature appropriated $1.5 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) to water, sewer, broadband, healthcare and other needs.

Under the Mississippi Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, no employer can pay women less for doing the same amount of work as a man. Before this session, Mississippi did not have any equal pay laws on the books.

New lines were drawn for Congressional, State Senate and State House districts, which uphold the “one person, one vote” principle. Each State House district contains approximately 24,000 people.

The Pregnancy Resource Act provides a $3.5 million tax credit to nonprofits that operate as a crisis pregnancy center.

Under Parker’s Law, a person giving or selling fentanyl that leads to the recipient’s death could serve 20 years to life behind bars.

The Broadband Accessibility Act will expand coverage to Mississippians with little to no internet access.

The Bill Kinkade FAITH Scholarship Program will provide financial assistance for postsecondary education to all current and former foster children who entered the program on or after age 13.

Mississippians will now have a new state song. “One Mississippi” by country artist and Greenville native Steve Azar will be Mississippi’s contemporary state song. The law also creates the Mississippi State Songs Study Committee, which will decide on official state songs in other genres.

Passed early in the session, the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act outlines a medical marijuana program that will treat conditions such as cancer, Parkinson’s, ALS and epilepsy, to name a few.

Proposed legislation that did not make it through the bill-making process includes restoring the ballot initiative process, expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage and privatizing liquor sales in the state.

The House adjourned sine die on Tuesday evening. This concluded the 2022 Legislative Session, which was the third session in the four-year term.

 

Week of March 28, 2022

This was the thirteenth week of the 2022 Legislative Session. Legislators worked through the weekend to finalize the state budget and other bills. Most of the budget was not completed by Monday’s deadline, so the legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution 89 extending the session by a few days and suspending the deadlines for certain bills.

Though the hours at the Capitol were long, legislators worked extremely hard. The House adopted more than 80 conference reports on the floor.

Both the House and Senate redistricting plans, JR 1 and JR 202 respectively, were also publicly unveiled this week. Joint Resolution 1 was introduced on Tuesday, and only one amendment was adopted. Amendment 1 to JR 1 by Representative Zakiya Summers (D – Hinds) swaps some precincts in House Districts 67 and 68. JR 1 passed as amended 81-38 before being sent to the Senate. Joint Resolution 202 was taken up on Thursday. The resolution passed with little debate by a vote of 68-49. Both maps can be viewed on the MARIS website.

By the end of the week, it became clear that work on the state budget was not complete. The House passed House Concurrent Resolution 90, which further extends the date of adjourning sine die (the last day of the legislative session). This was done to ensure that the budget is finalized before session concludes. The original date of sine die was Sunday, April 3; per HCR 90, it has been pushed to Sunday, April 10 at midnight. Legislators hope to wrap up business by the beginning of next week.

 

Week of March 21, 2022

This was the twelfth week of the 2022 Legislative Session. At this point in the session, bills have either been sent to the governor to be signed or are being discussed in conference.

Conference on a bill occurs when further discussion is needed to reach the best solution. A conference consists of three representatives and three senators who work together to finalize a bill. More than 225 bills are currently in conference, including those that deal with the state budget. Once a bill is out of conference, it must go to both the House and Senate for a vote before being sent to the governor.

Along with holding conferences all week, the House did meet to discuss and pass local and private bills, suffrage bills and resolutions and to honor special guests. The House also brought up and voted on several conference reports that have already been filed.

On Tuesday, the House took up the conference report on House Bill 530, or the START Act. The almost $250 million plan includes an average pay raise of $5,140 for teachers and a $2,000 pay raise for assistant teachers starting in the 2022-2023 school year. Starting teacher salary will go to $41,638, which is higher than both the regional and national averages. The plan also includes step increases of at least $400 annually, a $1,000 bump every five years and a $2,500 increase the 25^th year. With little debate, the final plan passed the House 117-5, and House Bill 530 has been sent to Governor Reeves for his signature.

On Wednesday, the House presented a conference report of the Mississippi Tax Freedom Act of 2022 (House Bill 531) to the Senate. As part of the proposal, the state would cut $100 million of the personal income tax every year until it is eliminated entirely. There is a repealer in the report, which would ensure that the Legislature reauthorize the tax cut after six years. Final details will have to be decided Saturday at 8 p.m., the deadline for conference reports on appropriations and general bills.

The House also took up a bill that would codify the 2011 eminent domain ballot initiative. The original initiative prohibited the state and local governments from taking private property by eminent domain and then reselling to other persons/businesses for a period of ten years. Because the Mississippi Supreme Court struck down the ballot initiative process in May 2021, the language from the eminent domain initiative needed to be added to the Mississippi Code. Senate Concurrent Resolution 583 suspended the rules to allow House Bill 1769 to be introduced. HB 1769 passed the House 119-3.

With only one week left in the 2022 Session, legislators will remain in Jackson to work through the weekend. The deadline for bills to come out of conference and pass in both houses occurs next week. Any bills that are passed will then be sent to the governor to be signed into law.

 

Week of March 14, 2022

This was the eleventh week of the 2022 Legislative Session. Because it is late in the session, much of the week was spent deciding whether to concur with any changes made to House bills by the Senate or to invite conference on those bills. In conference, representatives and senators work together to finalize the details of each bill before they are sent to the governor.

Most House bills that were discussed this week were sent to conference. Included in the bills being sent to conference are most of the revenue and appropriations bills from the House and Senate, which will decide the state’s budget.

Several local and private bills were also taken up this week. These bills deal with a variety of topics such as authorizing cities to contribute to local nonprofits and extending repealers on certain cities’ tourism taxes. The deadline for the House to introduce these local and private revenue bills was Friday, March 18. Local and private bills that are not deemed revenue bills have until next Friday, March 25 to be introduced.

The House also introduced House Concurrent Resolution 77, condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. HCR 77 passed with a unanimous vote of 118-0 and has been sent to the Senate.

Two notable musicians were honored by the House this week. On Wednesday, songwriter and Tupelo native Tommy Barnes visited the Capitol where he serenaded members with some original tunes. Thursday, the House was visited by Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Rickey Medlocke, who now resides in Olive Branch with his wife. The House presented Mr. Medlocke with House Resolution 23, which commends him on his successful music career.

The House also honored the legacy of the late Retired Brigadier General Martha Jo Leslie. Serving as a nurse in the military, General Leslie was at one point the only woman in the Mississippi Army National Guard. The Veterans Home in Kosciusko is named in her honor. The House presented her family and friends with House Concurrent Resolution 47 which commends her life upon her passing in January 2022.

Other visitors this week included the Mississippi Library Association, Mississippi Podiatric Medical Association, Mississippi Small Business Development Center and Mississippi Votes.

Next week as the session begins to wind down, legislators will spend much of their time in conference committees ironing out the final details of bills that were sent to conference. These conference committees will then have to file reports before the end of session.

 

Week of February 28, 2022

This was the ninth week of the 2022 Legislative Session. The deadline for House committees to report general bills originating from the Senate occurred Tuesday, March 1 at 8 p.m. Any Senate bills that did not make it out of committees died. Members began working on these Senate bills on the House floor, and the deadline for these bills to be passed is next Wednesday, March 9.

The most debated bill that was taken up in the House was Senate Bill 2113. The bill would prohibit any school in Mississippi from teaching that any individual or group is superior or inferior to another based on race, sex, ethnicity or religion. The bill’s short title was labeled “to prohibit Critical Race Theory,” a hot-button issue across the country. Proponents of the bill said the bill would prevent discrimination in schools, while the opposition argued that passing the bill could prevent Mississippi and American History from being told truthfully. After more than six hours of debate, seventeen failed amendments and sixteen members speaking on the bill, SB 2113 passed the House by a vote of 75-43. The bill was then held on a motion to reconsider.

The House will continue to work on bills originating from the Senate until the deadline next Wednesday. All Senate bills approved by the House will be sent back with changes to the Senate where they can concur with the changes or invite conference.

Conference was invited on House Bill 530, or the START Act of 2022. This teacher pay raise bill was taken up in the Senate late on Tuesday, where the Senate introduced a strike-all amendment and inserted the language from their own bill. The final details of the bill will not be decided until conference.

On Thursday, the House recognized the Mississippi State Baseball team for winning the 2021 NCAA National Championship. Earlier in the session, House Concurrent Resolution 8 was passed, commending the team on their accomplishment.

Other visitors this week include NASA and the John C. Stennis Space Center, the Bolton Edwards Middle School Basketball teams, Dan Knecht and Jerry St. Pe’ of Jackson County, Magnolia Speech School, the Mississippi Aquarium and the Mississippi Home Educators Association.

 

Week of February 21, 2022

Pages for week were Pepper Newman and Connor Mullins

 

This was the eighth week of the 2022 Legislative Session. Wednesday, Feb. 23 marked the deadline for original floor action on House appropriations and revenue bills. The Appropriations committee considered most budget bills last week, but the Ways and Means committee took up several revenue bills to meet this week’s deadline.

The Pregnancy Resource Act (House Bill 1685) would authorize a tax credit for individuals or businesses who donate money to a nonprofit that operates as a crisis pregnancy center. The bill passed with a bipartisan vote of 115-0.

House Bill 1530 would provide bond money to match federal funds in the Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund. HB 1530 passed 112-8 and has been sent to the Senate.

Two different bills would allow income tax credits for certain entities. House Bill 1108 would authorize an income tax credit for certain railroad reconstruction and/or replacement expenditures. House Bill 1684 would authorize an income tax credit for qualified wood energy products and forest maintenance projects. Both bills passed the House and have been sent to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 1564 would authorize county or municipal leaders to grant a partial ad valorem tax exemption for nonresidential property that is being converted to residential property. The bill passed unanimously by a vote of 119-0.

Certain highway projects around the state would be funded by bond money in House Bill 1686. This bond bill passed 116-3.

House Bill 1639 would impose a tax on motor vehicles charged at alternative-fuel stations, most notably electric vehicles. This tax would be similar to taxes already imposed on gasoline and diesel vehicles. The bill passed the House by a vote of 102-14 and has been sent to the Senate.

Many of these revenue bills include a “reverse repealer” clause, meaning that these bills will go to conference for further revision before the end of the session.

Committees began to meet again this week to discuss Senate bills. Over the next few weeks, Senate bills will come out of House committees and onto the House floor for discussion. The Senate will go through the same process with House bills.

One bill that has already made its way to the House floor from the Senate side is Senate Bill 2806, which would prohibit reverse auctions for repair and remodeling of public facilities. The bill passed by a vote of 81-32 before being held on a motion to reconsider.

On Tuesday, the House honored two members of the Jackson Fire Department for their service on the Mississippi Urban Search and Rescue Task Force during Hurricane Ida. Lieutenant Toby Johnson (House Concurrent Resolution 11) and Linc Tucker (House Concurrent Resolution 12) were presented with their respective resolutions in the chamber gallery.

Other visitors at the Capitol this week included the Mississippi Youth Council, the American Heart Association, the Mississippi Chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies, the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Teen Pact and the ACLU of Mississippi.

Week of February 14, 2022

This was the seventh week of the 2022 Legislative Session. With general bills out of the way, representatives began working on appropriations and revenue bills. The appropriations bills will determine how much money is given to various state agencies.

The House is responsible for looking at the preliminary budgets of about 50 state agencies, including the Departments of Education, Transportation, Insurance, Health, Medicaid and Human Services. These bills represent half of the state’s budget; the other half is currently being considered by the Senate and will be sent to the House for consideration later in the legislative session.

Budgets include reverse repealers, a clause which ensures that a bill cannot become law before going to a conference committee for further revisions. With reverse repealers in place, many appropriations bills were voted on in a block to help speed up the process.

The FY23 budgets for these state agencies are recommended by the Legislative Budget Office. These budgets will not be complete until the end of the legislative session when they go to conference committees.

The House Ways and Means committee also took up several bills on the House floor this week.

House Bill 1662 would authorize issuance of bonds to construct a new Mississippi Armed Forces Museum. Currently, the museum, which underwent a renovation in 2015-2016, is at Camp Shelby. The location for the new museum would be owned by the Mississippi Military Department and would be located near Camp Shelby. The bill passed by a vote of 114-7 and has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

Other Ways and Means bills included a bill that would exempt the sales of coins, currency and bullion from sales tax (House Bill 426); a bill that would exempt property owned by a university foundation from ad valorem tax (Senate Bill 2769); and a bill authorizing issuance of bonds for various purposes across the state (House Bill 1663).

The deadline for original floor action on House appropriations and revenue bills is next Wednesday, Feb. 23. After that, House committees will begin considering general bills which passed through the Senate.

On Wednesday of this week, the Jackson State University football team, Sonic Boom of the South marching band, alumni and fans celebrated JSU Capitol Day. The football team was presented in the House chamber with House Concurrent Resolution 30, which commends and congratulates the Jackson State team on winning the 2021 SWAC Championship.

Other visitors at the Capitol this week included the Mississippi Library Commission, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, DuBard School for Language Disorders, Tougaloo College and the Mississippi Chapter of the National Association for Social Workers.

 

Week of February 7, 2022

This was the sixth week of the 2022 Legislative Session. The House met as a whole throughout the week to discuss bills that made it out of committee and onto the calendar. Thursday, Feb. 10 was the deadline for members to introduce and discuss these general bills. Any bills not discussed in session by this deadline died on the calendar. The bills that were considered dealt with a wide range of topics.

House Concurrent Resolution 39 proposes an amendment to the Mississippi Constitution to create a new ballot initiative process. The former process was nullified in May 2021 by the Mississippi Supreme Court when it struck down Initiative 65, or the medical marijuana initiative. Under the new process, Mississippi voters could change current statutes or introduce new statutes by a ballot initiative. After several failed amendments, HC 39 passed 92-26 and has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 1029 would create the Mississippi Broadband Accessibility Act. The act establishes the Mississippi Broadband Commission, which would coordinate all broadband expansion efforts in the state and administer all federal broadband expansion programs. The commission would be comprised of seven members: three appointed by the Governor and four appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, two of which being recommended by the Speaker of the House. Some of the funds in the bill come from the American Rescue Plan Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, both passed by Congress in 2021. House Bill 1029 passed by a vote of 111-6.

Several bills were introduced to the House that would also deal with federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Some of the bills included one that would establish a grant program for rural water associations (House Bill 1421); a bill that would establish a grant program to assist in wastewater and drinking water infrastructure programs (House Bill 1425); and a bill that would provide a premium to law enforcement officers and firefighters across the state (House Bill 1427).

House Bill 884 would establish the Accelerate Mississippi Scholarship Program. These scholarships would be available to eligible students for dual-credit and dual-enrollment courses and career and technical education courses that lead to industry certification. The bill passed by a vote of 114-5 and will now go through the process in the Senate.

House Bill 592 would suspend child support payments for incarcerated individuals under certain conditions. The bill initially failed by a vote of 51-63, but after some amendments, it passed the House by a vote of 90-18.

House Bill 1196 would revise certain licensing requirements for barbers, nurses and social workers. Citizens with felonies who have paid their debt to society would now be eligible for a license in these respective fields. Before being held on a motion to reconsider, the bill passed the House by a vote of 106-9. That motion was then tabled later in the week.

House Bill 1510 was one of several bills dealing with the election process. Along with revising other provisions related to the integrity of elections, the bill would authorize the Secretary of State to audit local elections. After much discussion and several amendments, the bill passed 75-43.

House Bill 1487 would designate Mississippi country artist Steve Azar’s song “One Mississippi” as the official state song. Currently, the official state song is “Go Mississippi” by Houston Davis which was adopted by the Legislature in 1962. Azar wrote the song to commemorate the bicentennial of Mississippi in 2017. The bill passed by a vote of 95-12 and has been sent to the Senate.

Many bills passed the House with an overwhelming majority including a bill that would regulate the processing of sexual assault kits (House Bill 672); a bill authorizing the Mississippi Department of Corrections to offer hospice care services for terminally ill inmates (House Bill 936); a bill authorizing a leave of absence to Civil Air Patrol members for certain emergency services (House Bill 1179); two bills making changes to laws regarding campaign finance reports (House Bills 33 and 1476); and a bill that would require all school districts to offer a gifted education program for seventh and eighth graders (House Bill 1168).

The coming weeks will consist of floor discussion of House appropriations and other revenue bills. The deadline for these revenue bills to be sent to the Senate is Wednesday, Feb. 23. The House will then work on general Senate bills.

With the Dixie National Rodeo in Jackson this week, many visitors flocked to the Capitol. Miss Rodeo America Hailey Frederiksen of Colorado was presented with House Resolution 20, which congratulates her on her new title. Frederiksen was joined in the House by Miss Mississippi Holly Brand of Meridian and the new Miss Dixie National Lila Murphy of Jackson.

Other visitors at the Capitol this week included Alcorn State University; the Mississippi Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association; the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks; and the Mississippi Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

 

Week of January 31, 2022

The fifth week of the 2022 legislative session proved to be the busiest thus far. Committee meetings to discuss House bills wrapped up early in the week because of Tuesday’s general bills deadline. Members convened in the House Chamber for longer periods to discuss the legislation that made it to the calendar. The approximately 130 bills that were discussed dealt with a variety of topics.

House Bill 1313 would establish the Fostering Access and Inspiring True Hope (FAITH) Scholarship Program. This scholarship program would provide financial assistance for postsecondary education to all current and former foster children under age 26. The financial assistance includes full tuition, fees, and room and board. Before the bill was presented, Representative Jeff Hale (R – DeSoto) introduced Amendment 1 to name the program after Representative Bill Kinkade (R – Marshall), who grew up in the foster system. HB 1313 passed by a vote of 118-4.

House Concurrent Resolution 14 recognizes and honors Vietnam War Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange. During the introduction of the concurrent resolution, Amendment 1 was brought forth adding Representative Manly Barton (R – Jackson) and Representative Mac Huddleston (R – Pontotoc) to the language. Both Rep. Barton and Rep. Huddleston bravely served in the Vietnam War. HC 14 passed unanimously by a vote of 122-0 and has been sent to the Senate.

The Mississippi Health Care Workers Retention Act of 2022 (House Bill 764) was introduced on Wednesday. The bill would appropriate $56 million of the federal American Rescue Plan to the Mississippi Department of Health. These funds would be used to pay health care workers who directly treated COVID-19 up to $5,000 if they agree to stay at their current facility for five months. Mississippi, among other states, has seen massive health care worker shortages since the start of the pandemic. The bill passed by a bipartisan vote of 112-6.

House Bill 512 would remove the Department of Revenue from being the wholesale distributor of alcohol within the state and allow for wholesale permits to be issued to private companies. The Department of Revenue currently operates the Alcoholic Beverage Control warehouse in Gluckstadt. A similar bill was passed last session by the House, but it died in conference. HB 512 passed 113-2 and has been sent to the Senate.

The Second Amendment Preservation Act (House Bill 1418) would preempt any federal legislation seeking to ban firearms, ammunition and other supplies, excluding universities and colleges. After little debate, the bill passed by a vote of 83-35.

3458889. Bill 621 would increase certain penalties for the crime of fleeing from law enforcement. Under current law, a person who is found guilty of operating a motor vehicle in a reckless or willfully dangerous manner and fleeing from law enforcement could receive up to five years in prison. HB 621 would increase this time to 10 years. A reverse repealer was added by amendment ensuring the bill will go to conference before the end of the legislative session. The bill passed by a vote of 84-34.

Many bills passed the House with overwhelming majority including a bill to create an interstate compact for audiology and speech-language pathology licenses (House Bill 424); the Sexual Assault Response for College Students Act (House Bill 589); two bills creating the Mississippi Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund (House Bills 606 and 1064); a bill prohibiting discrimination against a recipient of an organ donation based on disability (House Bill 20); two bills increasing salaries for Mississippi Highway Patrol and Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Officers (House Bills 1344 and 1422); a bill creating the Mississippi Healthy Food and Families Program (House Bill 555); and the College Sticker Price Act of 2022 (House Bill 464).

On Wednesday, the University of Mississippi women’s golf team paid a visit to the Capitol. The Legislature presented Senate Concurrent Resolution 527 commending the women for winning the NCAA National Championship 2021, the first national championship in a women’s sport at Ole Miss. SC 527 passed the House by a vote of 118-0.

Floor debate will continue on general bills until the Feb. 10 deadline. After that, discussion will move to appropriation and revenue bills, as well as bills originating in the Senate.

Visitors at the Capitol this week included the League of Women Voters, the Mississippi Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Children’s Center for Communication and Development at the University of Southern Mississippi.

 

Week of January 24, 2022

Committees met frequently during the fourth week of the legislative session, as next Tuesday’s deadline to have House Bills out of their corresponding committees quickly approaches.

After Tuesday, Feb. 1, no additional general bills will be added to the House calendar for consideration. Members will also meet in session for longer periods to discuss the bills that make it out of their respective committees. Close to 200 House bills have made it out of committee thus far, and this number should increase before the deadline.  One of the bills that reached the House floor this week was House Bill 1509.  The bill would prohibit state and local officials from imposing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. After much debate, HB 1509 passed the House by a vote of 75-41. The bill was then held on a motion to reconsider.

House Bill 607, or Parker’s Law, would create the crime of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance that results in death. In the original bill, a person who sells a controlled substance that directly leads to the user’s death could be charged with first-degree murder. After the introduction of Parker’s Law, a debate ensued regarding controlled substances and the prevalence of fentanyl in these drug-related incidents. An amendment was brought forth changing all of the mentions of “controlled substances” to “fentanyl,” and Amendment 2 passed overwhelmingly by voice vote. HB 607 passed the House by a vote of 102-7 and has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 169 would add athletic umpires and referees to the list of people for which the act of simple assault is elevated to aggravated assault. Under Mississippi law, simple assault carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $1,000 fine, while a person charged with aggravated assault could face a penalty of one to twenty years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine. After many questions and debate, HB 169 was laid on the table subject to call and remains on the House calendar.

Many other bills were passed with topics including subpoenas, allowing organ donor indication on hunting and fishing licenses, the correctional system, county affairs and municipalities.

The conference report on Senate Bill 2095 (Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act) was adopted by both the House and Senate this week. The final version of the bill has been sent to Governor Tate Reeves where he can either sign or veto the bill.

The House honored Joe F. Sanderson, Jr., CEO and board chairman of Sanderson Farms, with House Resolution 9. The resolution commends Mr. Sanderson on his 75^th birthday and highlights his successful leadership of his family’s company, as well as his philanthropic endeavors. Mr. Sanderson was joined by his wife, Kathy, during the HR presentation.

On Tuesday, Governor Tate Reeves delivered his third State of the State address before a Joint Session of the House and Senate. He discussed several topics important to Mississippians, including education, the economy, crime and the prison system.

Visitors at the Capitol this week included the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable, the Mississippi Chapter of Americans for Prosperity, the Junior League of Jackson and medical students from both University of Mississippi Medical Center and William Carey University.

 

Week of January 17, 2022

This is the third week of the 2022 Legislative Session. The deadline for introducing general bills and constitutional amendments was on Monday night, and committees will now begin discussing these bills in meetings. Although most work is still happening in committees, several pieces of legislation reached the House floor this week.

Senate Bill 2095, or the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act, was introduced to the House on Wednesday. The bill is a follow-up to Initiative 65, which was passed by Mississippi voters in November 2020 but was struck down by the Mississippi Supreme Court over a technicality in the ballot initiative process. SB 2095 outlines a medical marijuana program that will treat conditions such as cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, Crohn’s Disease, glaucoma and seizures, to name a few. After a committee amendment was adopted by the House, the program will be overseen by the Department of Health, and eligible patients with a registry ID card will be able to purchase no more than six MCEUs (Medical Cannabis Equivalency Units) a week and no more than 28 MCEUs a month. Several House members introduced amendments to SB 2095, but all except the committee amendment failed. The final bill passed by a bipartisan vote of 105-14, and the bill has been returned to the Senate.

On Thursday, House Bill 770, or the Mississippi Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, was introduced to the House. The bill would require employers to pay employees the same amount for the same work done regardless of sex or gender. Equal pay is currently protected under federal law, but HB 770 would allow someone to file a suit in state court instead of going through the federal court. Mississippi is currently the only state without an equal pay law on the books. The bill passed overwhelmingly by 114-6 and has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 813 would create the Mississippi Study on the Affordability of Insulin. Under the bill, the State Health Officer of the Department of Health would be required to conduct a study about the affordability of insulin for diabetes patients in the state and report the findings of the study to the Legislature by December 31, 2022. After adopting a committee amendment, the bill passed by a bipartisan vote of 113-5 and has been sent to the Senate.

The House passed House Concurrent Resolution 21 which authorizes a joint session of the Legislature next Tuesday evening to hear Governor Tate Reeves’s annual State of the State address. The address will take place on the south steps of the Capitol.

House Concurrent Resolution 8 also passed this week. HC 8 honors the Mississippi State Baseball team and congratulates them on winning the 2021 NCAA National Championship in June. The team is expected to visit the Capitol in a few weeks and will be presented with the concurrent resolution at that time.

Next week, committees will meet even more frequently as the Legislature approaches the next deadline. After Tuesday, Feb. 1, no additional bills will be added to the House calendar for consideration, and members will meet in session for longer periods to discuss the bills that have made it out of committees.

 

Week of January 10, 2022

This is the second week of the 2022 Legislative Session. Even though it is early in the session, two monumental pieces of legislation were passed out of committee and were debated on the House floor.

House Bill 530, or the Strategically Accelerating the Recruitment and Retention of Teachers (START) Act of 2022, was introduced to the House on Wednesday. The START Act would raise the average starting salary of a Mississippi teacher to $43,000 – a $6,000 increase. This would make the average starting salary of teachers higher than both the national and southeastern averages. It would also give every teacher a pay raise between $4,000 and $6,000, effective at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, and give teacher’s assistants a salary bump of $2,000. The bill passed with a bipartisan vote of 114-6, and it has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

The Mississippi Tax Freedom Act of 2022 (House Bill 531) was also introduced on Wednesday. It is similar to last year’s proposal but has some key differences. The bill would eliminate the state income tax, becoming the tenth state in the United States to do so. It would also raise sales tax from 7% to 8.5%, lower grocery tax from 7% to 4%, and cut car tag prices by 50%. HB 531 passed by a vote of 97-12.

The deadline for the introduction of general bills and constitutional amendments is Monday, January 17, so many committees are waiting until all bills are filed to hold meetings. Floor action will pick up next week as bills are brought out of committee. Bills must be passed out of committee before they are considered by the House.

 

Week of January 3, 2022

On January 4, 2022, the Mississippi State Legislature began the third session in its four-year term. Though it is early in the session, there were a few items taken up and passed on the House floor.

House Bill 384 was introduced on Thursday morning. The bill contains the new Magnolia 1 Plan for congressional redistricting as proposed by the Joint Redistricting Committee. The plan would most notably extend Congressman Bennie Thompson’s District 2 into Adams, Amite, Franklin, and Wilkinson Counties in the southwest corner of the state. Representative Robert Johnson (D-Natchez), the House Democratic Caucus Leader, introduced Amendment 1 to HB 384, which proposed a different plan giving District 2 all of Hinds County and a portion of Madison County, while leaving the southwest four counties in District 3. After much debate, the amendment was defeated 43-76, and HB 384 passed by a vote of 75-44 with the Magnolia 1 plan.

House Bill 1413, the 2021 appropriations bill for the Mississippi Department of Transportation, was reintroduced on Wednesday after receiving a partial veto from Governor Tate Reeves. It has been re-referred to committee.

The House has added a new member to its roster since the 2021 Legislative Session as the result of a special election. Representative Robert Sanders (D-Cleveland) fills the seat left open by former Representative Abe Hudson, who resigned in August.

Next Wednesday, January 12, is the deadline to request legislation, and Monday, January 17, is the deadline for filing bills. More than 500 House bills have already been filed and referred to committees.

For the first time since March 2020, junior pages have returned to the House of Representatives. Pages are junior high and high school students from around the state who are sponsored by House members and staff.

Tuesday, January 4, 2022.  Session Begins at Noon.