Friday, Feb. 23, marked the deadline for House appropriations and revenue bills to be introduced and passed. The House Appropriations Committee finished considering bills regarding budgets for state entities last week, but the Ways and Means Committee still needed to approve a few bills to meet the deadline. Assistance to the Rankin-Hinds Pearl River Flood and Drainage Control District would be provided with the passage of House Bill 1631, which allocates bond money for a flood control project in that area. House Bill 1651 would make way for more bond money to be provided for the improvement and revitalization of Mississippi’s railroads. The bill also designates money for a grant that would
With general House Bills out of the way, representatives began working on House Appropriations Bills, which will determine how much money is given to various state organizations. The House was responsible for looking at the preliminary budgets of 51 state agencies, including the Departments of Transportation, Public Health, Medicaid and Public Safety. Budgets included reverse repealers, a clause which ensures that a bill cannot become law before going to a conference committee for further revisions. With reverse repealers in place, most appropriations bills were voted on in a block to help speed up the process. Among these was House Bill 1592, the appropriations bill for the Mississippi Depa
The House met as a whole throughout the week to discuss bills that made it out of committees and onto the calendar. Thursday, Feb. 8, was the deadline for representatives to discuss House Bills. Any bills that were not discussed by Thursday died on the calendar. One of the first bills that passed this week was House Bill 1476, which would revise the requirements for obtaining a real estate brokers license. Under the bill, a person would have to work as a real estate salesperson for at least three years before sitting for the licensing exam. The bill passed by a vote of 81-34. Various provisions relating to the Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association (MWUA) would be revised with the pa
Committee meetings to discuss House bills wrapped up on Tuesday, and the House convened as a whole Wednesday through Friday to discuss the legislation that made it to the calendar. Bills considered dealt with a variety of topics on different subjects. House Bill 192 would make it lawful to transport unopened beer and light wine on state and federal highways in dry areas of the state. This bill passed by a vote of 91-19. Similarly, House Bill 840 would give maritime retailers operating in the Mississippi Sound or on the Mississippi River the ability to obtain a permit to sell alcohol. This bill passed by a vote of 83-29. A tax credit would be offered to taxpayers who employ persons convicted
