Tuesday was the first deadline day in the Mississippi Legislature. For any general bill to potentially become law, it had to pass out of its original chamber's committee, or else it died!
The great news is that some of our bills made it!
In an effort to maximize returns to our state's public servants, MCPP created a coalition amongst the Mississippi Bankers Association, the State Treasurer's Office, the State Attorney General's Office and ourselves to clarify the fiduciary duty of the Mississippi Public Employees' Retirement System Board.
SB 2849 from Sen. Chad McMahan ensures the board invests the state's pension funds in a manner that prioritizes the safety and highest return on investment rather than on environmental, social and governance causes. This bill has passed out of the Senate Finance committee and is on the calendar to be discussed on the Senate floor.
HB 370 from Rep. Shanda Yates would give local residents the power to remove locally elected officials when they fail. Too many mayors in our state are not effectively accountable outside of election time, and we feel this bill would allow citizens to take a stand against neglectful politicians.
This bill was discussed a few weeks ago on the House floor but has since been subject to call.
SB 2053 from Sen. John Polk ensures that state agencies better manage their budgets. A new requirement to report deficits in a timely manner would enable our state officials to operate their overall budget in a more financially responsible and accountable way.
This bill passed out of committee and will head to the Senate Floor.
Several other bills made it out of committees in both chambers over the past week that we feel represent positive, conservative change in Mississippi.
HB 1317 from Rep. Lee Yancey authorizes pharmacists to test or screen for and administer treatment for minor, non-chronic health conditions. This would reduce delays and costs for patients.
HB 1150 from Rep. Randy Boyd authorizes state institutions of higher learning and community and junior colleges to authorize charter schools. This would allow more charter schools to open, progressing educational prosperity for children of our state.
HB 1045 from Rep. Jill Ford provides that library books and collections aimed at children and teenagers shall not be allowed to include sexual or explicit materials.
SB 2338 from Sen. Joel Carter ensures just, reasonable and transparent billing in municipal waterworks. This legislation bases water bills on usage rather than property value.
SB 2054 from Sen. Kevin Blackwell provides for the removal of appointed state officers for certain forms of willful neglect. If the Governor, State Auditor, House of Representatives or Senate feels an appointed member of a state board or agency has not properly fulfilled their administrative duty, they can file a complaint of neglect.
HB 729 from Rep. Kent McCarty establishes The "Mississippi Successful Techniques Resulting In Delivering Excellence In Education And Employability (STRIDE) Scholarship Program." This bill would make scholarships available to students who become eligible to participate in dual-enrollment courses.