Your Senate returned to session on Monday for another week of committee work. To begin the week, our longtime colleague Senator Gary Jackson resigned, effective June 30, due to continued health challenges that make service difficult. He and wife Dianne were given a long and heartfelt standing ovation. Senator Jackson serves as chair of the Municipalities Committee and has been considered a moral compass for the Senate. His service will be missed.
The Senate committee process moved forward this week with a plan to complete committee work by Tuesday morning. The Senate chairmen have worked diligently to move legislation along that will help the people of Mississippi. The number one concern is to move along legislation without regard to author or party. If it helps Mississippians, it should be considered.
In floor action this week, the Senate faced the Appropriations and Finance deadlines. The Senate passed Senate Bill 2774 taking first action on the Omnibus Bond Bill that covers expenditures across the state from universities and colleges to funding of business incentive grants. The beginning bill places $222.2 million in bond renewals and other required bonds. This bill will go to conference for further work.
The Senate moved on to pass Senate Bills 3011, 3012, 3013 and 3014 that provide a means for allowing lawmakers to reimburse hospitals, municipalities, counties, school districts, and state agencies for COVID-19 related expenses in Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021. Reimbursements will come from the remaining $900 million of Mississippi’s $1.25 billion CARES Act federal allotment for COVID-19 relief. Reimbursements must meet U.S. Department of Treasury guidelines. Further work on these bills will come through the conference process.
The Senate worked through Senate Bill 2771 which is better known as “The Children’s Promise Act”. This act would allow a tax credit of $5,000 for persons who adopt a child through the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services. It also amends current law to increase the amount of tax credits for contributions made to qualifying charitable organizations and qualifying foster care charitable organizations. Any bill to encourage help for our foster children is near and dear to my heart.
In general bill action this week, the Senate passed Senate Bill 2102 would exempt wrecker service owners and mechanics from having to purchase a tag and title to sell vehicles they take possession of when owners refuse to pay for repairs or storage.
In other news, we continue to see COVID-19 numbers stay between 200 and 400 new cases per day reported. Clearly, this virus has not disappeared from our state. I encourage all people to follow recommendations with social distancing and limiting the size of gatherings. On top of this virus, we see the first true tropical storm of 2020 taking landfall in the gulf. I am thankful for the leadership of Director Michel for making the preparations for our state to be ready for this threat. Governor Reeves has appointed competent leaders to tack charge of our agencies.
In closing, I want to thank you for allowing me to serve through these turbulent times. Our district is facing some of the hardest times in the recent history. This week, we found out about the loss of 300 jobs due to La-Z-Boy’s plant shutdown. This is devastating news, but rest assured that I am already working with our leaders around the state to save the remaining jobs and to bring us new jobs to the area. I am committed to this goal and will work diligently to represent you. God bless you all and thank you for allowing me to serve.
