Archive Archives - Page 22 of 45 - Mississippi Center for Public Policy

Fighting for Parents, Children and Choice in Education in Mississippi

This week the Mississippi Justice Institute filed a brief in Hinds County Chancery Court supporting the students who attend charter schools and the parents who made those educational choices for their children.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has filed a lawsuit against the State of Mississippi and Jackson Public Schools calling the funding of charter schools unconstitutional. Not only do the briefs filed by the SPLC not prove their case, but if SPLC were to win, other schools would lose all state funding including the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, the Mississippi School for the Arts, some alternative schools covering multiple districts, and failing schools that must be taken over by the state. It would also be questionable whether local funding could follow a student living in one district who receives consent from both school boards to transfer and attend a school outside his district of residence, and whether local funding could follow children who attend agricultural high schools outside their district. In fact, SPLC's arguments put the entire concept of all municipal school districts on shaky grounds, including Jackson Public Schools.

The SPLC's arguments for state funding depend on court decisions involving the Mississippi Constitution of 1868 and regarding the power of the state to operate segregated schools. You read that right. The Southern Poverty Law Center seeks to deny students the opportunity for school choice based on legal premises which once justified separate and unequal schools for black students and white students.

We invite you to read the brief by the Mississippi Justice Institute to get an understanding of our defense of parents' right to choose what is best for the education of their children and the constitutional funding mechanism which provides educational opportunities for local students.

Get a full update on the status of the case here and read the latest brief here.

The Mississippi Justice Institute exists thanks to the contributions of people like you. You can support our mission by making a secure contribution here.

Mike Hurst

| Mississippi Justice Institute | (601) 969-1300 | [email protected] | msjustice.org

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After Valentine's Day: Should She Break Up With Gov?

Federal government portrayed as overbearing boyfriend in award-winning series


	Watch the Trailer for Love Gov

In this five-part series of videos lasting 4-to-6-minutes each, Scott 'Gov' Govinsky foists his 'good intentions' on a hapless, idealistic college student, Alexis. Produced by The Independent Institute, this web series, "follows Alexis's relationship with Gov as his intrusions wreak (comic) havoc on her life, professionally, financially, and socially. Alexis's loyal friend Libby tries to help her see Gov for what he really is - a menace."

Episodes include An Education in Debt; Protection from Jobs; A Remedy for Healthcare Choices; House Poor; and Keeping a Close Eye on Privacy.

Source: Independent Institute

Regulations need an expiration date

Sunset of state rules worked in NC, can work in Mississippi, too

Regulatory reform is cutting red tape in North Carolina and it can work in Mississippi, too. So says Joe Sanders of the John Locke Foundation in a recent Clarion Ledger column.

A recent measure in the Mississippi legislature (HB1265), which would repeal state agency rules that aren't reviewed and reissued every five years, was approved by a House committee but died last week on the House floor without being brought up. Sanders says this should be on the agenda for the future. Only three years after North Carolina passes a similar law, "About one-eighth (12 percent) of the rules reviewed so far are being removed. Over one-fourth of rules have to undergo further scrutiny through the rule adoption process, meaning more could be repealed."

A recent measure (HB1265) to create "sunset provisions with periodic review to all state rules" died in the House last week. In the future, this reform "would be a good thing for the Mississippi's economy, her businesses big and small, and her people."

Award for repealing "archaic" tax

Reeves, Gunn recognized by Tax Foundation

By passing a phase-out of Mississippi's franchise tax, Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn this month received the 2016 Outstanding Achievement in State Tax Reform by the Tax Foundation.

From the release: "Each year, the Tax Foundation honors state legislators, governors, and other individuals with our Outstanding Achievement in State Tax Reform award...the honoree's accomplishments must (1) be outstanding, (2) be an achievement (not merely a proposal) during 2016, and (3) reform taxes to make them simpler, more neutral, more transparent, more stable, and more pro-growth." Reeves and Gunn "led the effort to begin phasing out the state's archaic franchise tax, a tax on investment and capital formation in a state that needs more of both. Beginning in 2018, the tax rate will drop in phases until complete repeal in 2028. The legislation also reduces the tax rate on low levels of income. Reeves and Gunn have also explored further tax reform options."

Source: Tax Foundation

ICYMI - On The Radio

MCPP's Forest Thigpen and MJI's Mike Hurst share updates on Supertalk

Mississippi Center for Public Policy President Forest Thigpen and the Mississippi Justice Institute Director Mike Hurst

went on air to talk with Supertalk Mississippi hosts about the legislative session and issues important to you.

Forest Thigpen gave a legislative update and discussed the need to reform Mississippi's high school graduation history standards. Listen to his segment on the JT Show here (begins at 7:45 mark).

Mike Hurst talks to Paul Gallo about President Donald Trump's executive orders and religious freedom in Mississippi. Listen here (begins at 38:35 mark).

Hurst also joined the JT Show to discuss Neil Gorsuch's Supreme Court nomination. Listen here (begins at 6:27 mark).

Source: Supertalk Mississippi

Give Ed Dept science standards feedback

Thumbs up or down the standards & provide comments

The

Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) is seeking feedback on revisions to the College and Career-Ready Standards for Science. MDE has created a feedback forum.

The forum is open through February 24, 2017.

You can select the grade level and review various performance objectives. You'll have the opportunity to agree (thumbs up) or disagree (thumbs down). If you disagree you'll be able to provide feedback. If you believe the Standard should be rewritten you'll be given the opportunity to suggest a change.

Source: Mississippi Department of Education

President Trump orders regulatory relief

For every new regulation; two must be removed

"Small business owners rank unreasonable government regulations as their second most important problem. Regulations have been in their top three concerns for 96 consecutive months." That's according to NFIB President Juanita Duggan in a statement welcoming President Donald Trump's executive order requiring federal agencies to identify at least two existing regulations to be repealed for every one proposed.

Duggan continued, "The implementing rules to be issued by the Office of Management and Budget should emphasize that the extraordinary costs and complexity of regulations falls hardest on America's small and independent businesses. Regulatory agencies and OMB should keep that in mind as they execute the President's order."

Read more details from the National Federation of Business here and read the "Presidential Executive Order on Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs" here.

Source: NFIB

Education System Holds the Poor Down

MCPP's School Choice Week Liberty Luncheon Features National Expert

Kevin Chavous, former Washington DC city councilman and national advocate for school choice, told those at the MCPP Liberty Luncheon last week that we should be outraged over the state of the American education system.

"At one time educationally we were the envy of the world. No one did it better...We were at one time the most socially mobile people on the planet. That means if you were born in poverty in America fifty years ago, more than any other place on earth, you had a better opportunity to move up the rungs from poverty to lower class to middle class to upper class based on your own wiles and educational advancement. That's where we were. Where we are today is exactly the opposite. Every 42 seconds a child drops out of school in America...48 percent of America's public schools are either failing or under-performing...We have gone from the most socially mobile people on the planet to the least socially mobile people on the planet. If you are born in poverty in America you have less of a chance to get into the middle class than some kid riding a rickshaw in Hong Kong or gliding along the Amazon in South America. That should lead to a sense of outrage that is holistically American in nature."

Watch his full speech here:

Liberty Luncheon with Kevin Chavous

Source: MCPP

Vo-Tech students more job-ready

A different kind of school choice

Massachusetts has more than 4,000 vo-tech applicants on waitlists to get into career-vocational technical education programs. The Pioneer Institute notes, "Vocational technical education, once looked down upon as 'less than' traditional high school, is coming into its own, and families across the commonwealth are appreciating the relevance and rigor inherent in completing a full academic schedule every other week, alternating with the in-depth study of a trade or career of their choice...According to a statewide survey of business owners, and others by the Dukakis Center at Northeastern University, vocational school graduates are more job-ready than general education or college preparatory high school graduates."

Source: Pioneer Institute

Crippling regulations

In small business, the owner becomes the number one regulatory expert

"Federal regulation has crippled the ability of small business to create jobs and contribute to economic growth" according to Gloria Taylor writing for Heritage Action. She says a new survey released by The National Association of Small Business shows, "nearly one-third of businesses spend over 80 hours drowning in compliance with an average cost of $12,000. For most small businesses the owner becomes the "number one regulatory expert" dealing with compliance paperwork and interpreting the rules rather than growing their company. Business owners admit they have held off on hiring and investment, and entrepreneurs hesitate to start a business given regulatory startup costs averaging over $83,000 in just the first year alone."

You can read the full survey here.

Source: Heritage Action for America

History is Mystery

Mississippi's U.S. History graduation tests start with 1870s

"If you were designing a U.S. History test, where would you start? The Revolutionary War? The Pilgrims? Maybe the Magna Carta as a precursor to the Declaration of Independence?" MCPP President Forest Thigpen asks this in a recent column. He explains, "For Mississippi high school students, the U.S. History 'subject area test,' which they must take before graduating, starts in the 1870s. On this test, according to the Mississippi Department of Education's (MDE's) 'Student/Parent Information Guide,' you won't find questions about George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. Nothing about the Declaration of Independence, the birth of the Constitution or the debates on the Bill of Rights. The Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and even the Civil War are all absent."

Thigpen recommends the "current U.S. History test should at least be augmented with the basic Civics Test given to immigrants who want to become U.S. citizens. Its 100 questions cover some current facts, such as the name of the president, but most of it is a good smattering of questions that cover the whole span of U.S. History."

Read Thigpen's full column: State test rewrites history.

Take a look at the current questions in the Mississippi Department of Education's U.S. History Sample Test Part 1 and Part 2.

Review the questions and answers to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Civics Test.

Source: Mississippi Center for Public Policy

January 14, 2017

MCPP Priorities

The 2017 Mississippi legislative session began on January 3, and the Mississippi Center for Public Policy will keep you updated throughout the session.

We believe legislation should eliminate unnecessary barriers so that opportunities can be created that will benefit all Mississippians. We’re focused on four main principles - economic freedom, education freedom, individual responsibility, and government accountability.

Economic Freedom
We want Mississippi to be a place where entrepreneurs are free to pursue their dreams, which means we must have a competitive economic environment based on free-market principles. Unnecessarily burdensome laws and regulations that hinder economic opportunity should be removed, and we must improve the business community’s ability to create and promote opportunity.

Education Freedom
We believe every child in Mississippi should have access to high-quality education. Parents should have the opportunity to choose the education that works best for their children. We need improved education content at all levels.

Individual Responsibility
We want Mississippians to experience freedom from dependence on government for their daily needs. We support policies that promote personal responsibility and strong families.

Government Accountability
Government should function according to the principles that enhance freedom and responsibility. We believe in restraining the growth of state government when it attempts to move beyond its proper role. We promote wise stewardship of tax dollars and a fair tax policy that collects only what is necessary.

For more about the principles we believe, read (or listen to) our booklet Governing by Principle: Ten Principles to Guide Public Policy?)

2017 Legislative Session Agenda

Consistent with those principles, here are just a few of the many ideas we are promoting:

* legislation to significantly reduce welfare fraud by removing dead people and non-Mississippi residents from Medicaid and other programs;

* a bill to require the U.S. History test that is required for high school graduation to include questions on America’s Founding (it currently covers only 1870 to the present);

* bills to help us recover from the negative effects of Obamacare at the state level; and

* a variety of bills aimed at reducing the regulatory burden on employers so that more private sector jobs can be created.

In addition, we will be monitoring many other bills, and acting when necessary to encourage their passage or their defeat. All our decisions will be driven by the principles described above, and even more specifically, according to the principles we have written about in Governing by Principle.

Legislative Action

Only a few bills have begun to make their way through the legislative process. About 1,200 bills have been introduced and assigned to committees. By the end of the session, more than 3,000 bills will have been introduced. Based on prior years’ experience, more than two-thirds of those bills will see no action at all. About 350 bills will be signed into law, including about 100 Appropriations bills and a good number of bills that do no more than give names to bridges or buildings.

The deadline for introducing most bills is this coming Monday, Jan. 16. (Bills that take your money and spend your money, known as Revenue and Appropriations bills, have a late February deadline.)

The House has approved a few bills so far, and the Senate has approved one of them. Here are a few that are significant:

School Superintendents
HB 32, the first bill to make it through the legislature and to the governor’s desk, is a bill to clarify the law passed last year to require school district superintendents to be appointed rather than elected, beginning in 2019. This bill clarifies that if a currently-elected superintendent’s office becomes vacant before 2019, the school board is to go ahead and appoint a superintendent, not hold a special election. The governor is expected to sign the bill.

Campaign Finance
HB 479, billed as campaign finance “reform,” defines and outlines usage guidelines for campaign contributions by any elected official or candidate. The bill prohibits the personal use of campaign contributions and provides acceptable options for how to use leftover money at the conclusion of an elected official or candidate’s service or campaign. Enforcement would be overseen by the Mississippi Ethics Commission. The bill passed by a vote of 102-13 and now goes to the Senate.

Auto Liability Insurance
HB 319 would require drivers to show proof of auto liability insurance to renew their registration (which most people think of as renewing their car tag, or getting their annual car tag sticker). This bill passed the House 82-33 and now goes to the Senate.

Tax Liability
HB 131 would authorize the Department of Revenue to compromise and settle a tax liability that is a doubtful claim. Our state constitution prohibits forgiving a tax debt to the state, no matter how unrealistic its full collection. Proponents of this bill say that if some type of compromise could be allowed, the state would get some money (instead of none), and the taxpayer could begin to rebuild financially. The bill passed without opposition and now goes to the Senate.

Today, we celebrate the one year anniversary of the birth of the Mississippi Justice Institute.

One Year Ago

Today, we celebrate the one year anniversary of the birth of the Mississippi Justice Institute. We created MJI on February 1, 2016, as a division of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy with its purpose to fight for and defend the Constitutional rights of all Mississippians!

In just 365 days, we have been able to do more than many of our counterparts around the country.

Defending Religious Freedom

When threatened with a lawsuit from an out-of-state atheist group, we stood up for a local school district and high school football coach who dared to practice his faith with football players during their own time and away from school grounds.Details Here

Pursuing the American Dream

We have fought for the right of taxi cab drivers who don't want a handout but simply want an opportunity to start their own small business and live the American dream, but are prevented from doing so by outdated, anti-competitive local regulations.Details Here

Fighting for Parents & Students

We continue to fight for parents of children who are attending charter public schools, who just want the right to escape failing schools, have a choice in deciding what is best for their children and receive a quality education.Details Here

Advocating for Government Transparency

And finally we are fighting for transparency in government, representing local folks who want their government to simply follow the law and conduct public meetings openly. We're fighting for transparency with cases in Columbus and Lauderdale County.Details Here
And Here

You Can Join The Fight

It's no coincidence that the Mississippi Justice Institute was founded on National Freedom Day because every day we at MJI are looking to protect the freedom, liberty and independence that we were granted by our Creator.We're proud to be the legal arm of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy fighting for you.

Join us in this fight. Contact us with cases, make a tax-deductible contribution to our cause, and refer our services to others. It is only through cooperation and collaboration with other Freedom Fighters like you that we will be victorious as we seek justice for all. Thank you.

Mike Hurst

Director, Mississippi Justice Institute

Mike Hurst

| Mississippi Justice Institute | (601) 969-1300 | [email protected] | msjustice.org

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Legislative Update - February 6, 2017

This Thursday is the deadline for the House and Senate to pass bills that were approved by their own committees. The exception to that are bills that take your money and spend your money, otherwise known as Appropriations and Revenue bills. That deadline comes later this month.

Although bills died that would have made blue the official state color, classified venomous snakes as inherently dangerous to humans, required contracts to be written in large print, require a "probable cause" hearing for legislators who are arrested, and require school districts to serve low-fat meals and snacks to students diagnosed as overweight, there are still plenty of bills still alive.

Out of 2,300 bills that were introduced to change or create state laws (called “general bills”), 91% of them died in committee, leaving 429 to consider. Many of those are duplicate or similar bills in the House and Senate, and many are to simply extend current laws that would otherwise expire this year.

Below are significant bills that are still alive. If you click on the bill number, it will take you to the legislature’s status page for that bill, where you can read the original and current versions, and if it has been voted on in the full House or Senate, you can see who voted for or against it.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Listing of the bills below should NOT be taken as our endorsement of them. To the contrary, there are some horrible bills that somehow made it out of committees with generally conservative majorities.


	Accountability and Transparency

HB 396	Prohibit elected state officials from visibly or audibly participating in the making of state funded advertising. Awaits House Floor.
HB 479	Prohibit personal use of campaign contributions and revise law to require detailed reporting. Passed House 104-12.
HB 555	Require approval by Outside Counsel Oversight Commission for Attorney General to bring certain suits. Passed House 63-58 after initially failing 58-60.
HB 812	Revise regulations regarding Civil Asset Forfeiture. Passed House 118-3.
HB 938	Prohibit state agencies from purchasing motor vehicles for one year. Passed House 115-5.
HB 974	Remove most civil service protections for employees in several agencies by exempting those agencies from the Personnel Board rules, regulations and procedures for three years. Passed House 62-58.
HB1109	Provide standards for state agencies to follow regarding Requests for Proposals (RFPs). Awaits House Floor.
HB1112	Agency Accountability Review Act of 2017. Require legislature's watchdog, the PEER committee, to regularly evaluate state agencies' effectiveness and efficiency, including whether they are achieving ther goals. Awaits House Floor.
HB1127	Revise Open Meetings Act to require minutes to be posted on public bodies' websites within certain time after the meeting. Awaits House Floor.
HB1296	Financial Transparency in Education Act - require school districts to post their revenue and expenditures online in a searchable format. Awaits House Floor.
HB1330	Abolish certain boards and commissions that have not met in more than a year. Awaits House Floor.
SB2567	Mississippi Health Agency Reorganization Act of 2017 - give governor the power to appoint the executive directors of several agencies, including the Health Department and the Mental Health Department, among others. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2572	Abolish certain boards and commissions that have not met in more than a year. Passed Senate 51-0.
SB2632	Prohibit state agencies from using state funds to hire contract lobbyists. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2634	Transfer BP Settlement Funds into Gulf Coast New Restoration Reserve Fund. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2642	Require state agencies to report to the Legislative Budget Office any "Maintenance of Effort" agreements or "Memoranda of Understanding" between the agency and the federal government. Passed Senate 51-0.
SB2645	Impose moratorium on the acquisition of State vehicles. Passed Senate 51-0.
SB2689	Prohibit personal use of campaign funds. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2846	Provide standards for state agencies to follow regarding Requests for Proposals (RFPs). Awaits Senate Floor.



	Business

HB 883	Authorize natural gas public utilities that are rate-regulated to undertake economic development activities. Passed House 119-0
HB 928	Allow Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements to allow empoyers to provide health insurance while limiting its cost. Passed House 117-2.
HB1076	Allow counties and cities in high-poverty or high-unemployment areas to exempt an area within their jurisdiction to exempt businesses from certain regulations, in an effort to draw investment into these communities. Awaits House Floor.
HB1322	Authorize small craft breweries to sell light wine or beer they produce on the premises of the brewery. Passed House 94-23.
SB2542	Authorize natural gas public utilities that are rate-regulated to undertake economic development activities. Passed Senate 51-0

	Crime and Courts
HB 645	Increase penalties for capital and first-degree murder committed against police officers. It differs from the Senate version in that it does not place this under the "hate crimes" statute. Awaits House Floor.
HB 805	Allow challenges to MS laws to be filed in any county circuit court, not only in Hinds County (which is the current requirement). The Chief Justice of teh MS Supreme Court would then appoint a judge to hear the arguments in whatever location he or she chooses. Awaits House Floor.
HB1033	Remove the automatic action of sending criminals to prison if they miss a payment on their fines; prohibit suspending driver licenses for crimes that do not involve driving. Awaits House Floor.
HB1039	Creats severe penalties and prevents due process for alleged sexual assault perpetrators on college campuses. Awaits House Floor.
SB2302	"Ban the Box" & expunction: Prohibit employers from asking on employment applications about criminal convictions. They may ask that in interviews, but cannot preemptively ask. This and other provisions of the bill are part of the recommendatinos of the "Re-Entry Council" made up of judges, attorneys, and others seeking to enable former offenders to gain employment and thus reduce the likelihood of commiting another crime. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2469	"Blue, Red, and Med Lives Matter": Places violent offenses against law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel under the "hate crimes" law. Passed Senate 37-13.
SB2710	Prohibit sanctuary cities and require local cooperation with federal immigration control. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2842	Authorize mental health court intervention programs. Passed Senate 51-0.
SB2907	Criminalize the posting or other sharing of explicit photos or videos without the subject's consent. Awaits Senate Floor.



	Education

HB 32	Require appointment (rather than election) of school superintendents in the event of vacancy in elected office before January 1, 2019, when all superintendents must be appointed. Passed House 113-4 and Senate 49-2. Signed into law by the Governor.
HB 263	Require school districts to adopt policies to notify parents of alleged bullying incidents involving their children. Also broadens the definition of bullying to include words or actions that "exploit an imbalance of power" between the perpetrator and the victim. Awaits House Floor.
HB 267	Elect all school boards during statewide general election or presidential election for four-year term. Awaits House Floor.
HB 293	Reduce the number of days in a scholastic year from 180 to 170. Awaits House Floor.
HB 312	Authorize inclusion of hunter safety education program in school curriculum. Awaits House Floor.
HB 433	Require citizenship exam as part of U.S. History or American Government courses. Awaits House Floor.
HB 442	Revise the qualifications for school superintendents to allow someone with a master's degree, or a bachelors degree if he or she has at least 10 years of management experience, to be appointed as a superintendent. The latter is only an option where all members of the school board that appoints the superintendent are elected. Awaits House Floor.
HB 503	Direct the State Board of Education to incorporate cursive writing into elementary education curriculum. Awaits House Floor.
HB 544	Authorize the State Dept of Education to issue Nontraditional Route Standard Licenses to certain teachers and administrators with advanced degrees. Awaits House Floor.
HB 866	Limit the number of days a student may be required to take standardized assessments: State-required tests no more than 3 days; for district tests, no more than 20. Awaits House Floor.
HB 875	Revise the process of state school accreditation in failing school districts through a process of district transformation. Awaits House Floor.
HB 905	Require uniform accounting system for all school districts to address local, state and federal funds. Also, transfer audit powers from State Auditor to the State Department of Education. Awaits House Floor.
HB1036	Expand eligibility for the MS Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship to 12th grade (it's now 6th), as would HB1046, but also expand the universe of schools at which the scholarship may be used. Also requires a school district to test a student for dyslexia if a parent requests it. Awaits House Floor.
HB1046	Expand eligibility for the MS Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship to 12th grade (it's now 6th). Awaits House Floor.
HB1050	Allow unspent funds from a special-needs education scholarship account to remain in the account to be used the following school year. Awaits House Floor.
HB1224	Exempt school districts with "A" and "B" accountability ratings from certain duties. Awaits House Floor.
HB1227	Discontinue MS Statewide Teacher Appraisal Rubric (M-STAR) and require local districts to adopt teacher evaluation system. Awaits House Floor.
HB1294	Revise education funding formula. So far, this bill simply includes the current law with no changes, in order to have all the necessary "code sections" necessary once they decide what to propose. Awaits House Floor.
SB2036	Sets all school board elections to be held in November general elections beginning in 2019. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2042	Establish Early Childhood Services Interagency Coordinating Council. Considered on Senate Floor but was sent back to committee, which effectively killed it.
SB2273	Direct the State Board of Education to incorporate cursive writing into elementary education curriculum. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2328	Increase minimum GPA to qualify for the MS Resident Tuition Assistance Grant Program (M-TAG). Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2398	Revise the qualifications for school superintendents, but differently from HB442. This bill would require at least 6 years of classroom or administrative experience, at least 3 of which must have been as a principal of a school rated A or B or a school that improved at least a letter grade. However, the State Board of Education may approve rules that allow someone without direct experience to be a superintendent. Passed Senate 34-17.
SB2431	Authorize the State Board of Education to place failing school districts into "District Transformation Status." Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2459	Expands compulsory school age from the current 6-17 to the ages of 5-18. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2461	Require school district consolidation in Perry County. Passed Senate 33-18.
SB2463	Require school district consolidation in Chickasaw County. Passed Senate 35-16.
SB2607	Revise education funding formula. So far, this bill simply includes the current law with no changes, in order to have all the necessary "code sections" necessary once they decide what to propose. Awaits Senate Floor.



	Elections

HB 228	Authorize pre-election day voting. Passed House 113-8.
HB 373	Allow first-time voters to register online. Awaits House Floor.
HB 467	An almost-300 page bill to revise election laws. Awaits House Floor.
SB2468	An almost-300 page bill to revise election laws. Awaits Senate Floor.



	Family

HB 853	Revise Power of Attorney to authorize parents to delegate care and custody of a child. Awaits House Floor.
HB1210	Require Youth Court to provide redacted copy of child's record to child's parent/guardian upon request of the parent/guardian. Awaits House Floor.
HB1298	Create MS Advisory Council on Faith-based Initiatives. Awaits House Floor.
HB1451	Increase fee for marriage certificates from $10 to $20, and for processing marriage license applications, from $20 to $30. House voted 70-47, but it needed 71 votes. It was later reconsidered and approved 84-29.
SB2311	Create MS Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, to provide accounts for individuals with disabilities. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2342	Termination of parental rights - technical corrections. Passed Senate 48-1.
SB2483	Divorce - add 2-year separation as a ground for. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2520	Require Youth Court to provide redacted copy of child's record to child's parent/guardian upon request of the parent/guardian. Passed Senate 51-0.
SB2514	Create MS Advisory Council on Faith-based Initiatives. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2680	Clarify alternative of relative care for abused and neglected children. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2695	Sheriff or police chief to notify parent or guardian of minor released after arrest. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2703	Divorce - add domestic violence as a ground for. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2704	Increase marriage license processing fee from $20 to $50. Awaits Senate Floor.



	Health

HB 318	Authorize grants to rural hospitals to help them stay alive or adjust to new opportunities. Passed House 113-8.
HB 909	Require State Health Plan to cover annual pap smears and PSA tests. Awaits House Floor.
HB 926	Allow the University of MS Medical Center to form Health Care Collaboratives - joint ventures that are exempt from antitrust laws, to the extent possible, as well as the Open Meetings and Public Records Acts. Awaits House Floor.
SB2214	Allow acupuncturists to provide care without a referral from a physician if they have been practicing in MS for at least 5 years. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2511	Provide for the licensing of Naturopathic medicine practitioners. Awaits Senate Floor.
SB2610	Clarify the allowable use of Cannabidiol in research of seizures and other medical conditions. Awaits Senate Floor.

	Regulation
HB 539	Require seat belts for all passengers. Awaits House Floor.
HB 967	Regulate and tax fantasy sports games in the same way the state regulates and taxes casinos. Awaits House Floor.
HB1076	Allow counties and cities in high-poverty or high-unemployment areas to exempt an area within their jurisdiction to exempt businesses from certain regulations, in an effort to draw investment into these communities. Awaits House Floor.
HB1216	Direct agencies to report on laws and regulations that were put in place as a result of Obamacare, and the impact of those laws and regulations. Awaits House Floor.
HB1265	Require all state agency rules to be repealed after certain time unless the agency readopts them through the normal public-comment process. Awaits House Floor.
HB1425	Require occupational licensing boards, if they are controlled by people who are in the industry they regulate - to submit their proposed regulations and enforcement actions to the governor before they are finalized. This is in response to a US Supreme Court ruling regarding executive power that is exercised independent of a governor, if the boards are controlled "active market participants." Awaits House Floor.
SB2896	Regulate and tax fantasy sports games in the same way the state regulates and taxes casinos. Awaits Senate Floor.



	Tax

HB 131	Authorize the Department of Revenue to compromise and settle certain tax liabilities. Passed House 119-0.
HB 480	Require out-of-state sellers who do not have a presence in MS to collect "use tax" (similar to sales tax) on purchases made by Mississippi residents. Any money collected from this requirement would be used for road and bridge repair, with 70% going to the state department of transportation and 30% going to local governments. Originally passed House 77-40. A normally-routine procedural vote to send it on to the Senate failed, leaving the bill in limbo for the moment.
HB 687	Allow public community and junior colleges to collect a debt by obtaining from the Dept of Revenue a set off against a debtor's state tax refund. Because of where it appears in the MS Code, it would also allow community and junior college officials to obtain the state and federal tax returns of the debtor. Passed House 104-14.
HB 699	Authorize the Dept of Revenue to disclose certain taxpayer information to law enforcement entities. Brought up on House Floor but debate has been suspended on it.
HB 711	Extend authority of Dept of Revenue to approve applications for certain "rebates" given to Hollywood and other producers under the MS Motion Picture Incentive Act. Passed House 107-15.
HB 804	Require MS Gaming Commission to establish a lottery. Awaits House Floor.



	Welfare

HB1090	Requires Medicaid to contract with a company to identify dead people and non-Mississippi residents who are on the Medicad rolls, among other provisions to combat fraud in welfare programs. Awaits House Floor.
HB1186	Require Medicaid to apply for waivers from Federal requirements in order to conduct pilot projects to best meet needs and control costs. Awaits House Floor.
SB2330	Requires Medicaid to contract with a company to identify dead people and non-Mississippi residents who are on the Medicad rolls. Awaits Senate Floor.

By Forest Thigpen

To hear this commentary click here.

Governor Bryant is drawing some criticism for saying he was driven by his Christian faith to sign a particular law. Let's think about that.

All public officials have a reason for the position they take on a piece of legislation. In some cases, it's a desire to be re-elected; in other cases, they might want to reflect the majority of constituents they've heard from. But often, their votes are driven by a philosophy or ideology that reflects their understanding of the purpose of government.

The reality is that such a philosophy or ideology has been influenced by someone else. Maybe a professor in college, or a favorite philosopher or writer. Bernie Sanders, as a self-proclaimed socialist, presumably was influenced by the writings of Karl Marx.

The idea that being motivated by faith is a violation of the constitutional separation of church and state reflects a significant misunderstanding of that concept, which is a subject for another time. But today's question comes down to this: Why would it be constitutional to be influenced by Karl Marx but not by Jesus Christ?

For more on this and other principles of governing, go to GoverningByPrinciple.org.

January 18, 2017

Sheriff’s Office Took the Furniture: Mississippi's Asset Forfeiture Laws

"It was the first time in Mississippi attorney Richard Rehfeldt's long career that he can remember where police seized a client's furniture," writes C.J. Ciaramella at Reason Foundation’s "Hit & Run" Blog. "In 2012, Rehfeldt says, the Hinds County Sheriff's Office raided his client's apartment on suspicion her boyfriend was a drug dealer. Anything purchased with drug proceeds is fair game to be seized by police under civil asset forfeiture laws, and they determined the boyfriend had furnished the apartment, so off went her TV, her table and chairs, her couch, her lamps, and even the pictures on the wall. Under a settlement agreement, all of it was eventually returned. Well, all of it except the couch. The Institute for Justice gives Mississippi a C- grade for its asset forfeiture laws, noting the low burden of proof required for a seizure and the high amount of revenue that goes straight back into law enforcement budgets."

Source: Reason.com
Read the Article

Federal Agencies Approve 18 Rules for Every Law Congress Passes

In 2016, Congress passed “only” 211 Public Laws, according to Wayne Crews of the Competitive Enterprise Institute. But he says the bureaucracy was much busier, issuing 3,853 rules and regulations - 443 more than last year – which were published in a record-setting 97,110 pages of the Federal Register. That translated into an average of 18 rules and regulations for every law Congress passed. Crews calls that multiple The Unconstitutionality Index - the multiple of unelected agency rules, over the number of laws from our elected Congress.

Source: Competitive Enterprise Institute
Read the Article

Take the Bill of Rights Quiz!

It has been 225 years since the Bill of Rights became part of the U.S. Constitution on December 15, 1791. How much do you know about it? This quiz, from the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University in Ohio, provides an opportunity for you to test and refresh your knowledge of the signing and adoption of the Bill of Rights, which comprises the first ten Amendments to the Constitution.

Source: Ashbrook Center at Ashland University
Take the Quiz

School Choice Liberty Luncheon Jan. 24 with Kevin Chavous

The Mississippi Center for Public Policy is providing an opportunity for you to hear from one of the leading school choice advocates in the nation about how school choice has changed the lives of thousands of children in the inner city of Washington D.C. and around the country.

Kevin Chavous is a noted author, attorney, national education reform leader, and as of 2016, a member of the District of Columbia Hall of Fame. As a D.C. City Council Member from 1993-2005, Mr. Chavous helped to shepherd the charter school movement into the nation's capital. Other options for low-income children have expanded under his leadership, including the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, the first federal scholarship program, which has provided access to private schools for nearly 6,000 children from low-income families since its inception. Mr. Chavous worked with U.S. Education Secretary-designate Betsy DeVos to form American Federation for Children, a leading school choice organization.

He will be speaking on January 24, during National School Choice Week, at the Old Capitol Inn in Jackson from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. The cost is $15. Click here for more information or to register.

Preceding that event, you are invited to attend the National School Choice Week rally at the State Capitol from 9:30 – 10:00 AM.

Source: Mississippi Center for Public Policy
For more details, click here.

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Air Date: August 8, 2016

Listen Here

What do you think would happen in our society if we treated people with respect when we disagree
with them politically? Instead of name-calling, which is common on social media, or saying their disagreement with us is driven by hatred, what if we actually listened to them to find out why they believe what they believe?

I'll take it a step further. What if we were to accept those people as they are, and even accept their viewpoint? I don't mean we adopt their viewpoint as our own, or approve of their behaviors or their beliefs. Acceptance does not mean approval.

Accepting others is like finding them on a map. Where they're going, or what they want to do with their beliefs is important, but accepting the reality of where they are right now, and how they got there, is an important starting point for a productive discussion.

Whether it's a political disagreement, or disagreement with a spouse or anyone else for that matter, if we listen before we speak, we might be surprised to find ways we can work together to solve some of our biggest problems.

MCPP Priorities

2017 Legislative Session Agenda

Legislative Action

Legislative Update - February 6, 2017

Accountability and Transparency

Business

Education

Elections

Family

Health

Regulation

Tax

Welfare

By Forest Thigpen

Sheriff’s Office Took the Furniture: Mississippi's Asset Forfeiture Laws

Federal Agencies Approve 18 Rules for Every Law Congress Passes

Take the Bill of Rights Quiz!

School Choice Liberty Luncheon Jan. 24 with Kevin Chavous