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More than a month into the legislative session, local lawmakers have advanced bills aimed at addressing issues ranging from demolishing blighted historic buildings on public universities to expanding research into Parkinson’s Disease in Mississippi.
What bills did Golden Triangle legislators propose this year? The following are still under consideration in the House and Senate.
District 39 Representative Dana McLean
Penned by McLean, House Bill 1546 seeks to ban the expungement of felony crimes related to the promotion and procurement of prostitution. The bill also provides legal protections for minors who commit nonviolent crimes as a result of being trafficked.
McLean also authored House Bill 723, which proposes offering a 75% income tax credit to employers that provide child care at their place of work during work hours or offer a child care stipend of $6,000 or more.
District 37 Representative Andy Boyd
House Bill 999 aims to create a Parkinson’s disease research registry within the state’s health department. The registry would collect information from individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and other movement disorders to help the state determine the prevalence of these conditions and support future research.
District 17 Senator Chuck Younger
Senate Bill 2019 amends Mississippi law to extend the payment of lottery funds into the State Highway Fund indefinitely.
Younger also authored Senate Bill 2269, which extends the enforcement period of a 2024 law on driverless vehicles until 2029. The bill requires any company or owner of a driverless car to submit a law enforcement interaction plan to the Department of Public Safety detailing certain information, like how to safely remove the vehicle from the roadway.
District 41 Representative Kabir Karriem
Authored by Karriem, House Resolution 9 is an apology for the role the state played in the murder of Emmett Till in 1955 and the acquittal of his killers.
House Resolution 8 would require any proposed bills to include a statement that describes how the legislation could impact racial and ethnic populations in the state.
House Resolution 13 is a recognition of Shiloh Full Gospel M.B. Church in Columbus for its 191st anniversary and its longstanding importance to the community.
Two bills authored by Karriem aim to fund repairs and renovations at the Tennessee Williams House and Museum in Columbus. House Bill 414 would appropriate $300,000 toward the project, and House Bill 415 would authorize general obligation bonds to provide funds for the same purpose.
District 43 Representative Rob Roberson
Roberson authored House Bill 1528, which aims to amend the approved and nontraditional standard licensure process for teachers by removing entry requirements like minimum test scores and GPA thresholds.
The bill also establishes the Mississippi Medical Education Pipeline and Readiness Program, a joint effort between Mississippi Department of Education, Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees and the University of Mississippi Medical Center aimed at getting more students into medical school.
House Bill 1736 would have the Mississippi Department of Corrections perform a survey among its inmates to determine the impact of dyslexia on the educational and behavioral history of prisoners. The findings would also include “recommendations for programs, policies or legislation to address the needs of inmates with dyslexia.”
House Bill 1495 amends current law to allow Mississippi State University and the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated County School District to enter into agreements for the “construction, maintenance and operation” of secondary schools on MSU’s campus or within the school district, solidifying a memorandum of understanding signed by the university and school district in September.
House Bill 606, known as the Retailer Tax Fairness Act, aims to provide a tax credit to vendors who use electronic payment transactions and are charged a fee for doing so.
District 15 Senator Bart Williams
Senate Bill 2594 creates a clearer pathway for public universities and community colleges to demolish blighted campus buildings considered historic landmarks. It would allow IHL and Mississippi Department of Archives and History to issue destruction permits if a building is structurally infeasible or the cost to restore the building exceeds 50% of replacement costs.
Senate Bill 2526 would require rural utility companies to complete capacity and rate studies to ensure they are operating properly while Senate Bill 2310 would give the Public Service Commission the power to revoke a local water utility company’s certification if it is poorly providing water up to one mile outside its boundaries.
Authored by Williams, Senate Bill 2096 would create minimum cybersecurity standards and policies to better protect the integrity of statewide elections.
Senate Bill 2653 would create a statewide program designed to standardize information technology across state agencies, and Senate Bill 2654 would create the State Security Operations Center to monitor cybersecurity threats and recommend regulations for agencies.
Senate Bill 2925 extends the repeal date for Starkville’s economic development, tourism and convention tax to 2030.
District 16 Senator Angela Turner-Ford
Senate Bill 2187 would fund $2 million worth of renovations and repairs at the Black Prairie Blues museum in West Point. Senate Bill 2937 would allocate $1 million to fund the paving of Waverly Road, and Senate Bill 2938 seeks to allocate $500,000 to fund the paving of Pruitt and Good roads.
Senate Bill 2949 would give $1 million towards renovations and repairs at the Clay County Courthouse.
Turner-Ford has authored two bills dealing with drug classification in Mississippi.
Senate Bill 2056 would create a process to automatically classify pharmaceutical forms of crystalline polymorph psilocybin, the lab-made form of the psychedelic compound found in “magic mushrooms,” under Mississippi law while staying in line with federal scheduling.
Senate Bill 2117 would add 13 drugs to the state’s Schedule I classification, including various forms of opioids and variations of fentanyl.
Other bills authored by Turner-Ford include Senate Bill 2118, which would require sheriffs to report their jail dockets to their respective county board of supervisors before their first meeting of each month. Senate Bill 2191 would amend Mississippi law to allow special funds from internet use tax revenue to be used for sidewalks and the construction of public buildings.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 26 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
