The first big deadline for the Mississippi Legislature will be Tuesday, which is the deadline for committees to approve bills for floor votes.
A bill that would increase teacher pay has already passed the state Senate and bills that would allow the over-the-counter sale of ephedrine-related products and another which would give nurse practitioners full practice authority have already passed the initial committee hurdles.
Also, a bill that could represent a starting point for reform for the Department of Revenue’s embattled Alcohol Beverage Control division is still alive.
Here are some of the more interesting bills that have been submitted so far:
Already passed originating chamber
Senate Bill 2001 is authored by state Sen. Dennis DeBar, R-Leakesville, and would provide a $1,000 annual pay raise for teachers. The bill has already passed the Senate and is now in the hands of the House.
Already passed out of committee
SB 2119 is sponsored by state Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall and would allow the sale of pseudoephedrine and ephedrine without a prescription. A committee substitute has already been passed by both the Drug Policy and Judiciary B committees in the Senate.
A similar bill, SB 2067, was authored by state Sen. Angela Hill, R-Picayune, but likely won’t make it out of committee.
House Bill 1303 would allow nurse practitioners full practice authority in Mississippi and is sponsored by state Rep. Donnie Scoggin, R-Ellisville. The bill was approved by the House Public Health and Human Services Committee.
HB 466 would allow the state Department of Corrections to utilize money from the Inmate Welfare Fund for re-entry related expenses, such as technical training equipment. The bill is sponsored by state Rep. Kevin Horan, D-Grenada. It has passed the Corrections Committee chaired by Horan and is now in the hands of the Appropriations Committee.
SB 2804 would the retail delivery of alcoholic beverages from a licensed retailer to a consumer. The bill was authored by state Sen. Josh Harkins, R-Flowood and was passed by the Senate Finance Committee he chairs.
HB 4 would create a statewide election management system and would remove voters who fail to respond to a notice and who fail to vote after a certain time. This bill is sponsored by state Rep. Brent Powell, R-Flowood. The House Apportionment and Elections Committee approved the bill.
SB 2788 is sponsored by state Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson and would require municipal law enforcement to inform the state Highway Safety Patrol of any road blockages or emergencies on interstates in city limits. It was passed by the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee.
Still in committee
HB 10, authored by House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, would allow an expired driver’s license to be renewed online regardless of how much time has transpired after the expiration date of the license. The House Transportation Committee has been assigned the bill.
HB 11 would require that every county’s annual budget be published on the county’s official website and was authored by state Rep. Scoggins. The bill has been assigned to the House Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency Committee.
SB 2806 is a placeholder bill that brings forward code sections related to the Alcohol Beverage Control division of the state Department of Revenue. The bill would also allow the DOR to contract for a concessionaire to take over management and operation of the state’s alcohol warehouse. By including code sections in the bill, it gives lawmakers more time to work on the issue.
State. Sen. Harkins authored the bill and his finance committee will handle it.
SB 2769 is sponsored by state Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, and the bill would protect lawful expression of free speech rights at the state’s community colleges and universities. The bill would also create an avenue for free speech-related legal challenges. It is in the hands of the Judiciary A and Universities and Colleges committees in the Senate.
SB 2326 would require proceeds from civil asset forfeitures be used to supplement and not supplant the existing budget of the participating law enforcement agency. It is sponsored by state Sen. Jeremy England, R-Vancleave, and has been assigned to the Judiciary A Committee in the Senate.
HB 86 would allow the participation of investor-owned utilities (Entergy and Mississippi Power) in providing broadband services. It is sponsored by state Rep. Brent Anderson, R-Bay St. Louis and is assigned to the House Public Utilities Committee.
HB 88 would prohibit agencies, governing authorities and universities and colleges from hiring contract lobbyists. It is sponsored by state Rep. Jansen Owen, R-Poplarville and is being handled by the House Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency Committee.
HB 123 would prohibit elected and appointed officers from publicly participating in state-funded advertising. It will also be handled by the House Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency Committee.
SB 2160 would eliminate the state’s certificate of need law and is authored by state Sen. Hill. Mississippi is one of 35 states that require a certificate of need for healthcare providers. They must receive approval from the state Department of Health to build a new facility, add beds or diagnostic equipment to an existing facility, or even when a capital project goes over budget. The bill has been assigned to the Public Health and Welfare Committee in the Senate.
SB 2108 is authored by state Sen. DeBar and would require non-partisan elections for chancery and circuit clerks, tax assessors, tax collectors, surveyors and coroners. The Senate Elections Committee has been assigned the bill.
SB 2168 would end the phaseout of two income tax brackets and the franchise tax that was passed in 2015 and remove the deduction of federal employment tax. It is sponsored by state Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville. It has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee.
SB 2079 would establish a minimum wage in the state and is also sponsored by Simmons. It has been double-referred to both the Labor and Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency committees in the Senate.
SB 2102 would have Mississippi join an interstate compact that would circumvent the Electoral College and elect the president by popular vote. The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Blount. The bill has been double-referred to both the Election and Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency committees in the Senate.
SB 2173 would allow alcohol sales at package stores on Sunday and was authored by state Sen. Joel Carter, R-Gulfport. The Senate Finance Committee has been assigned the bill.
SB 2342 would exempt eyebrow threading from the purview of the state’s Cosmetology Board. It is sponsored by state Sen. England and has been assigned to the Public Health and Welfare Committee in the Senate.
