In the final week of the 2022 Legislative Session, the Senate adopted a $6.29 billion fiscal year 2023 total state support budget that includes $2.94 billion for K-12 education, which funds Mississippi’s historic teacher pay raise, boosting salaries by about $5,140 for teachers and giving $2,000 raises to assistant teachers. The Senate completed all business and adjourned Tuesday, April 5 until sine die on April 10, 2022.
The budget funds Institutions of Higher Learning at $852.8 million, and Community and Junior Colleges at $336 million. The Senate used about $1.5 billion of the state’s $1.8 billion American Rescue Plan Act funds in drafting the budget.
Under House Bill 530, a Class A teacher with a baccalaureate degree would start at $41,500. Teachers would receive annual step increases of between $400 and $600 at most every year, including in the first three years of teaching. House Bill 530 sought to remedy the fact that step increases are not currently provided in the base salary schedule until the third year of teaching even though many teachers leave the profession before Year 5. At pivotal five-year marks in a teacher’s career up to year 20, teachers would receive a larger increase between $1,200 and $1,350 based on their certification. At year 25, they would receive a $2,500 increase.
Adoption of SB 3056 appropriated $450 million in ARPA funds to the grant program established by the Mississippi Water Infrastructure Act of 2022 – (Senate Bill 2822). This grant program was created to assist cities, counties, and rural water associations in receiving matching grants for infrastructure repairs and improvements. The program will be administered by the Department of Environmental Quality.
HB 1630 Mississippi Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) budget bill appropriated nearly $1.5 billion dollars to the department. MDOT budget spending authority is $1.43 billion. Most of this appropriation is set aside for construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, and other infrastructure throughout the state.
Some specific allocations in the bill are:
• $40 million to MDOT to match federal funds from the Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act;
• $45 million toward accelerating MDOT’s three-year maintenance schedule; and
• $35 million toward accelerating MDOT’s “capacity” schedule, which relates to additional lanes for increased traffic capacity.
These funds are in addition to other one-time and recurring funds the Legislature provides for roads and bridges, including $80 million in recurring dollars from lottery proceeds.
SB 2159, created the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive (MFlex), which allows a credit against any state tax liability and combines several current incentives aimed at spurring economic development into one simplified option. The amount of the credit is calculated by considering the business’s investment in equipment and infrastructure, the number of full-time jobs created, and wages and benefits paid out to employees.
To participate in MFlex, a business must create at least 10 full-time jobs and make a capital investment of $2.5 million. Businesses qualifying for MFlex must report publicly the amount of investment, jobs created, average wage of employees, benefits provided, and other information.
Other bills passed included:
• SB 3027 an appropriation to the Department of Mental Health that includes $636,374 for community mental health crisis centers and $1,138,252 for physician services at mental health centers.
• HB 1423 increases salaries of state appellate and trial judges and district attorneys and allows district attorneys to “employ one or more part-time legal assistants to assist in the performance of the duties of the district attorney.” Legal assistants cannot be practicing attorneys. A companion measure, House Bill 1424 increases salaries of district attorney’s criminal investigators to $63,000.
• HB 1518 provided $40 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), funds to the Department of Finance and Administration to disperse $30 million to destination marketing organizations to assist in paying costs of certain marketing activities, providing $5 million in assistance to non-profit museums, and providing $5 million to municipality grants through the Mississippi Main Street Association, as provided in House Bill 453.
• HB 1521 appropriated $6 million in ARPA funds to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning to finance the “Nursing and Respiratory Therapy Education Incentive Program,” to repay student loans for students entering the fields and to recruit professionals into the state.
• SB 3064 appropriated $10 million in ARPA funds for the Mississippi Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (MAICU) Grant Program Act of 2022.
• The Legislature passed the omnibus Resort Status Bill this year which now authorizes the City of Newton among others to have spirits served by the glass at local restaurants. The local boards will be responsible for implementing all ordinances regarding the times and locations of sales.
On April 5, 2022, the Senate presented Jeff Rosamond, Director of Legislative Services, Senate Resolution 63, for 32 years of service to the Senate. Jeff is retiring later this summer. Jeff was employed as Senate Staff Attorney in December 1990 and was promoted to the position of Director of the Senate Legislative Services Office in August 2018, serving for four years in that capacity.
On April 4, 2022, I was honored to recognize retired Mississippi Transportation Commissioner, Dick Hall with a Senate Proclamation praising his 45 years of state public service. Hall spent 21 years as Central District Transportation Commissioner and 24 years as a lawmaker, in both the House and Senate. Some of Hall’s greatest accomplishments were the passing of the Education Reform Act of 1982, the 1987 Four-Lane Highway Program, the Budget Reform Act of 1992, and the Mental Health Reform Act of 1997. He is an institution in public service.
Lastly, I am glad to say that there was no bond bill passed this year which means that the state did not refinance any old debt or undertake any new debt through the legislature. With the influx of money, it was fiscally prudent not to undertake any additional debt. Through there was no bond bill, the legislature was still able to fund various projects across the state through the Capitol Expense Fund. Of those projects, the following were funded:
Funds for upgrades and repairs to road systems in Newton County, MS.
Funds to be distributed equally to the 8 Scott County volunteer fire departments for needs.
Funds to MDOT for improvements to HWY 21 in Sebastopol.
Funds to the Town of Decatur for extrication equipment at the fire department.
In conclusion, it has been an honor to serve you throughout the last three sessions. Though they were tough years, I feel that the legislature has worked to implement changes that will continue through the next generation. Over the next few months, I will continue to work throughout the state to bring information to our citizens and to hear their needs. No two people view an issue the same, but my goal will always be to further the state of Mississippi in the right direction. As always, I thank you for allowing me to serve you.
Sen. Tyler McCaughn represents Senate District 31. He can be reached at tmccaughn@senate.ms.gov
