Speaker of the House Philip Gunn chose to highlight pro-family, pro-life legislation championed by his Commission on Life last week at a Stennis-Capitol Press Corps luncheon at Hal and Mal’s.
He said he established his special Commission on Life to focus on protecting and strengthening the “family unit” following the U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs decision giving states the power to regulate abortion.
“The future of America depends on the strength of the family unit,” he said.
He said 11 bills were passed by the House to provide tax credits for pregnancy resource centers, adoption expenses, transitional homes for foster children, child care for young mothers, and charitable clinics; to reform laws for safe haven baby drop-off boxes, create a separate Child Protective Services agency, and establish the Foster Care Bill of Rights; to limit minors’ access to pornographic materials; and to prevent transgender care for minors.
The Speaker emphasized the increased tax credits for resource centers. "We had one abortion clinic and 37 pregnancy resource centers,” he said. “I think that tells you right there that Mississippians are pro-life.”
House Bill 1671 increased tax credits for the centers from $3.5 million to $10 million annually. The lesser credit was established by the Legislature last year as part of the Children’s Promise Act.
The Speaker said the increased tax credits would “incentivize private sector investment” in the centers. As he explained it, a business might owe $10,000 in taxes. It may now give half that amount to a pregnancy resource center and obtain a $5,000 tax credit. “They’re going to pay $10,000,” he said. But they may choose to help out pregnancy centers instead of sending it all to the state.
Hmmm.
That’s not exactly an incentive. Usually an incentive gives only a partial tax credit to spur larger investments or contributions. H.B. 1671 simply transfers tax revenue from the state to the pregnancy centers, much as appropriations do.
This is not a simple process either. Centers must qualify in advance with the state Department of Revenue (DOR) to receive the tax credit contributions. Not 37 but 22 centers had done so according to DOR’s web site. The Centers must also provide documentation to the contributing businesses. Each business must then apply to DOR for an allocation. They may request allocations for up to 50% of income taxes plus 50% of local ad valorem taxes (with a letter of approval from the local tax collector).
DOR instructions say applications will be approved on a first come first served basis. DOR may also authorize up to 25% of its total $10 million allotment to any one applicant.
A similar process applies to other tax credits in H.B. 1671.
Hopefully, the benefits projected for mothers and children by the Speaker will occur. The tax credit process just seems much more cumbersome than appropriations would have been.
“And let us not grow weary of doing good” – Galatians 6:9.
Bill Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.
