Posts Tagged ‘MS Legislative Session 2019’

It’s easy to judge a legislature by what is passed in a session, but what doesn’t make it through the process is just as important a measure.

Opponents of HB 1205 say that passage of this bill will be a blow to transparency, especially when it comes to campaigns. But HB 1205 doesn’t affect the state’s campaign finance law or make it possible for candidates to skirt the requirements.

Cake makers and other food service entrepreneurs who bake from home and who want to expand their businesses won’t be able to do it in Mississippi, at least for another year.

Some of the motion picture production incentives offered by Mississippi taxpayers were allowed to lapse in 2017 in an intelligent move by the Legislature. Some of these lapsed incentives for out-of-state companies might be coming back if a bill becomes law.

The 2019 Legislative Session, apparently by design, has been relatively uneventful compared to previous years, with few highly controversial bills being passed out of committee. Now more than halfway through the session, the House and Senate have passed the deadline for approving bills that originated in their own chambers. They are now considering bills approved by the other chamber. Except where noted, the following bills are still alive.

Mississippi taxpayers already owe more than $5.8 billion in bond debt alone and the Mississippi House wants to add to that debt in a big way.The House passed a $173 million bond bill last Tuesday, on top of $45 million for a bond that would be a handout to Huntington Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula.

The Mississippi Legislature missed a great opportunity to protect the privacy of its citizens in the Information Age from the misuse of cell site simulator devices. House Bill 85 would’ve required a warrant for cell site simulator devices that can represent an invasion of privacy by law enforcement. It never made it out of committee for the third consecutive year.

Mississippi has been a national leader since 2014 in the field of criminal justice reform and passage of these two bills will give recently-released convicts a chance at a new life with the goal of reducing recidivism rates.

One of the problems with Mississippi is our government selectively and sometimes severely regulates some businesses, while using tax dollars to incentivize others. It’s the worst of both worlds.