The 2023 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature concluded their eighth week with important deadlines passing and others just around the corner. Wednesday, February 22, was the deadline for original floor action on appropriations and revenue bills originating from each chamber. Thursday, February 23, marked the deadline for reconsideration and passage of those appropriations and revenue bills. Friday, February 24, marked the deadline for disposition of motions to reconsider on those same appropriations and revenue bills.
Committees in the Senate and House of Representatives began taking up some of the general bills that have already passed out of the opposite body. Committees have until Tuesday, February 28, to report out general bills and constitutional amendments originating in the other chamber. The Legislature continues to forge ahead after crossing the halfway point of this 90-day legislative session.
After weeks of discussion, it appears that all income tax cut discussions have come to an end. On Tuesday, the House Ways and Means Committee met to conduct their business and did not move the appropriate code sections to pass an income tax cut. The committee did work on two measures that would have significant impact statewide, House Bills 1734 and 1733. HB 1734 repurposed and paid off bonds issued in previous legislative sessions. Also, this bill changed part of the Use Tax diversion and increased the amount that is spent on infrastructure. Currently, five percent of all Use Tax collected is diverted to fund State Aid Road projects across the state. If this bill becomes law, it would increase the diversion to six percent with an equal split going to State Aid Road projects and Local System Bridge projects (this program is housed at the Office of State Aid Road Construction).
Additionally, both chambers acted on measures to codify certain features of the federal Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017. Senate Bill 3101 and HB 1733 allows for businesses to claim expenses in a single year that would normally depreciate over a number of years. The codification of this measure will not affect revenue in the long run since those expenses would be claimed eventually, but the measure would impact the General Fund in the first year of implementation. Oklahoma is the only state that has moved to make these accelerated deductions permanent.
SB 2358, which prohibits ballot harvesting, was presented on the House floor this week by Representative Jansen Owen (R-Poplarville). Through this bill, other than election officials and United States postal personnel, the only third-party individual who would be allowed to gather and transport completed absentee or mail-in voter ballots would be a parent, family member or registered caregiver of the person to whom the ballot was mailed. After a committee amendment in the House and another on the House floor, the bill was tabled subject to call and remains on the calendar.
On Thursday, several changes were made to HB 1020, authored by Rep. Trey Lamar (R-Senatobia), in the Senate Judiciary A committee, where the bill was assigned. Senator Brice Wiggins (R-Pascagoula), Chairman of that committee, provided a strike-all amendment that replaces language in the original House version and stripped out language regarding the Capitol Complex Improvement District (CCID) and appointed judges. Instead, the proposed amendment would allow temporary special judges, appointed by the Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice, to serve for three years. Also, an additional judicial position would be added in Hinds County. Changes also included three additional Assistant District Attorneys and three Assistant Public Defenders funded by the Legislature. HB 1020 now heads to the Senate floor for debate and a vote.
A bill that would allow public school employees to take trainings to be designated a school safety guardian passed in the House Judiciary B committee on Thursday. The Mississippi School Protection Act, SB 2079, was authored by Sen. Angela Hill (R-Picayune). The legislation seeks to allow public school educators to carry a firearm, and the required training program would be administered through the Office of Homeland Security. The Office of Homeland Security would be required to work with the Mississippi Department of Education to promulgate rules and regulations. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety would be charged with establishing guidelines for active shooter responses. The bill now heads to the House floor.
Earlier this month, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning announced study results that revealed a $6.5 billion impact by the state’s eight public universities. Further details about the economic impact study can be found here.