Your Mississippi Senate completed this week of session with the Mississippi Legislative Budget Office delivering revenue reports. This follows the conclusion of financial bills and appropriation bills from each house. These bills now move to conference for final numbers. One consistent request that was seen across the board was to raise budgets to counter the rising health insurance costs. The Senate and House have worked together to attempt to accommodate these rising costs.
In general legislation, the Senate amended and passed House Bill 852 to contain the language of Senate Bill 2001 that gives $1,000 raises to teachers and increases starting pay to $37,000. Teacher’s assistants would receive a $1,000 increase to make their minimum salaries $15,000. The increase would climb to $1,110 for teachers who have less than three years’ experience. The House concurred with our changes and the bill was sent to the governor. This is a crucial win for Mississippi as it has been a priority for the Senate for the past two years.
The Senate joined the House effort at tax reform by passing Senate Concurrent Resolution 536 that would establish a State Taxation Study Committee to examine and develop recommendations regarding state tax policy. This Committee shall report to the 2022 Legislature “the committee's recommendations regarding the most effective and desirable policy changes with respect to state income tax, state sales tax and state use tax.”
The Senate also passed the following:
• House Bill 1296 that would revise the handling of historic property tax credits to include the financing of single-family dwellings and the sale of tax credits by the possessor to others.
• House Bill 1446 would allow participants in the Back to Business Mississippi Grant Program to itemize eligible expenses as income tax deductions.
• Senate Bill 2759 would increase the per month Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, (TANF), benefits. It represents the first increase under the program in 21 years and will be paid from federal funds with no state funds to be used. Currently, a family of two receives $146 per month in benefits.
• Senate Bill 2392 that would allow county port and harbor commissioners to remain in their posts until their successors can be seated. This bill is aimed at allowing the agency boards to remain effective while successors are qualified.
• The Senate further moves into conference with House members on bills. Most of the conference committee members are working to get the language correct and passed back to the floor for final consideration. Of these bills in conference, the following are being watched:
• Senate Bill 2313, the Mississippi Intercollegiate Athletics Compensation Rights Act, that would allow student athletes to be compensated for use of name, image, and likeness.
• Senate Bill 2107 would stop governmental entities from creating laws to restrict the rights of concealed carry permit holders or restrict the rights of citizens to have and bear firearms.
• Senate Bill 2434 would transfer control of Capitol Police to the Department of Public Safety.
• Senate Bill 2223 would allow arrest warrants to be issued by for sex offenses against children based upon their verbal testimony.
• Senate Bill 2649 would extend the repeal date on use of energy efficiency contracts.
• Senate Bill 2830 would revise Mississippi Development Authority’s ability to allocate New Markets Tax Credits by one year.
• Senate Bill 2816 would allow the Department of Revenue appraisers to receive the same pay increases as county tax assessors.
• Senate Bill 2868 would make certain municipalities qualified resort areas.
• Senate Bill 2874 would require residential and commercial contractors to obtain a sales tax permit from the Department of Revenue before receiving a building permit.
In conclusion, I continue to work on several pieces of legislation to help our communities. This week will be an exhausting week for all members as contentious negotiations continue. The eventual goal of all is to pass good quality legislation that will benefit Mississippians and to kill any legislation that will not. Continue to pray for your legislators as we wrap up this session of the Mississippi Legislature. As always, I thank you for allowing me to serve you.
Tyler McCaughn represents Newton County in Senate District 32. He can be reached at TMcCaughn@senate.ms.gov
