Week 8 - 2020 Mississippi Legislative Update

2020 Legislative Update

Monday, March 2nd, 2020 | Week 8

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Please follow us on social media to stay abreast of the happenings at the Mississippi State Capitol during the 2020 legislative session. If you have questions or issues, please text/call me at 662-522-1400.

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Relevant Articles

Rural Hospital Consolidation May Undermine Care, Access, New Study Finds

Lawmaker Aims to Limit Governor’s IHL Appointment Power

The “SIP” Plan (Department of Motor Vehicles Overhaul)

Netflix & Spotify tax: States are making streaming services more expensive

Making Space for Restorative Justice

THE 1619 Project (American Slavery)

Bill to Abolish IHL Board

Below is a photo of a joint Senate and House Drug Policy committee meeting. The other members and I are listening to a hearing on Kratom. There were many constituents on both sides of this argument who visited the Capitol on Thursday to state their opinions about how we should or should not regulate this plant. CLICK HERE for more information.

8th Week of Mississippi Legislative Session

Several committees were active during the eighth week of the legislative session because next Tuesday’s deadline to have House Bills out of the corresponding committees quickly approaches. Personally, I had Transportation, Agriculture, Ports, Harbors, & Airports, Tourism, Wildlife Fisheries, & Parks, Drug Policy, and Tourism committee meetings.

The most heavily discussed bill this week was Senate Bill 2257 . The bill will authorize the State Auditor’s office to examine tax returns of individuals who receive federal benefits like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. Proponents of the bill say that the State Auditor requested the bill to comply with a federal mandate. I voted no because I feel tax returns are not necessary for this type of audit and that the bill would unfairly target poor Mississippians. After much debate, Senate Bill 2257 passed 76-45 and has been returned to the Senate.

Another bill that was the source of much debate was House Bill 1259 . The bill would have allowed proprietary schools to submit certain debts owed to them to the Department of Revenue for collection through a set off against the debtors’ Mississippi income tax refund. House Bill 1259 failed by a vote of 56-61. I voted no for this measure.

Several bills did pass through the House relatively uncontested. House Bill 1253 is a bill that designates the State Fire Academy as an authorized medical first responder training program. The bill passed unanimously by a vote of 121-0 and has been sent to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 1559 is a bill that expands upon Speaker Philip Gunn’s commitment to fighting human trafficking. The bill creates a special fund in the State Treasury called the “Victims of Human Trafficking and Commercial Exploitation Fund.” This special fund will go towards assisting specialized human trafficking and sexual exploitation shelters. Currently, there is only one shelter of this type in the state. The bill passed with a vote of 90-20.

On Thursday afternoon, House Bill 1371 made its way onto the floor. The bill would make various changes to the Division of Driver Services in the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Some of these changes would include modernizing driver’s license kiosks around the state and updating the license renewal website to make the process more streamlined and transparent. The bill passed after a bipartisan vote of 117-3 and has been sent to the Senate. Because I felt this was good policy, I voted for the passage of this bill.

Photos of the Week

I had a special visitor to the Capitol last week on Thursday. My daughter, Abee, always enjoys spending time with me there.

The Bolivar County Volunteer Fire Department is building a new facility in Cleveland, Mississippi. This summer, there was a multi-home fire in the town of Shelby and I got to see first hand how responsive they are during a crisis.

The Mississippi Congress of Parents and Teachers Association had it's legislative day on Tuesday. I briefly spoke at their rally in support of public education.

Brittany A. Nicole is a Bolivar County resident who works at Mississippi Valley State University in the Office of Technology and Communications. It was great having her visit the Capitol.

Please follow Moms Demand Action MS on Facebook. They are a group working to reduce gun violence.

Each year, the Mississippi Farm Bureau and Mississippi State University puts out a booklet that gives a snapshot of agriculture in our state.

Funding for Vital Community Programs

are Based on Census Counts

(Source: 2020 Kids Count Fact Book)

The 2010 Census should have counted 13,767 additional children under age 5. Counting everyone in our communities is an investment in our future.

Dr. Darrin Webb, State Economist for Mississippi, stated that, “Kids are the most undercounted group in the census. They are also the target group for many federal funds flowing into the state. Getting that number right is essential. Not only are federal funds tied to the count, but an accurate count is necessary to understanding current socioeconomic conditions. If we don’t where we are, we can’t get where we want to be.”

Things You Need To KNOW:

• Every 10 years, the government counts all people living in the U.S.

• These counts are used to determine Mississippi’s representation in Congress, as well as governmental policies and programs.

• The next census will occur April 1, 2020 , and people can participate online or by telephone, mail, or an in-person enumerator.

• The questionnaire asks about 10 questions related to sex, race, ethnicity, relationship to householder, and housing.

• Under Title 13, U.S. Code, the U.S. Census Bureau is legally required to keep individual information confidential.

• No personal information provided in response to the census will be shared with other government agencies.

• Young children are one of the groups likely to be undercounted.

Child Demographics in Mississippi

• 706,141 Children live in Mississippi.

• Nearly One-Fourth of Mississippians are Children.

Who is at risks of being undercounted?

• 831,129 children and adults who live in hard to count areas in MS (27.8%).

• 53,488 children under age 5 who live in hard to count areas in MS (28.0%).

BOTTOM LINE: Mississippi stands to lose an average of $2,780 per child in the census if kids are not counted.

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