While the Jackson City Council considers an ordinance which could drastically limit Airbnb and other short-term rental properties in the area, Jan Serpente continues to maintain and prepare her cottage in anticipation of her next guests.

She first learned of Airbnb about two years ago, when her youngest son, Sam, suggested she and her husband rent out their recently fixed-up wash house in their backyard. “One year he said, ‘mom, why don’t you rent this out?’” Within the first 24 hours that the space was listed on the Airbnb site, she had her first visitor scheduled. Two years later, she has welcomed and hosted over 200 guests in the Jackson area.

“I think people want to experience their travel, and this gives them an experience,” Jan says.

Jan and her husband moved to Jackson from the Coast after Katrina. Most of the guests she and her husband have hosted are either traveling from Memphis to New Orleans or from Dallas to the beach. A drive, Jan says, that is too long to cover in one day. However, she has also hosted visitors from Cambridge, England; New York; and locals looking for a weekend retreat.

For those visiting the area, Jan leaves out a list of places of interest, restaurant suggestions, and places to explore. Jan and her husband themselves have traveled a bit, though not extensively. Their last stay in a hotel ended when a lawnmower smashed into their room causing them to swear off hotels completely. She says that when someone visits a town, they generally want the local experience of that town. Which is what they get with an Airbnb. With Airbnb, we can give our customers that local town experience.

In Jan’s opinion, Airbnb’s growing popularity comes from a few factors; the comfort level an Airbnb space provides can offer an alternative to a national hotel chain, it generally costs less than a hotel, and an Airbnb can add to a traveler’s experience in ways most hotels just can’t.

Especially important to Jan is the comfort of her guests. She bakes fresh bread every day and makes sure to leave some in the cottage to welcome the guests when they arrive. She also leaves snacks like fruit and instant grits.

“It just makes me happy,” Jan added. “I’ve always liked visitors. I like to make them cozy beds, I like to make good food. So, it’s kind of a spiritual experience that you’re taking care of strangers. You want them to be comfortable, safe, happy. You want it to be a good experience for them.”

By adding to guests’ traveling experience, Jan gets an experience of her own. She describes Airbnb hosting as a way of seeing the world from the comfort of her own home. An experience she loves to share with her granddaughter, who often accompanies her in welcoming guests.

How does a potential renter know if they will be staying in a nice house? Airbnb uses a peer-to-peer review system. If an Airbnb is not up to standards, guests can complain or leave a bad rating. When customers rate a host poorly, that host is likely taken off the Airbnb site completely and kicked out of the system. If a host wants his or her location to stay up on the site, they must provide the best experience possible. This puts the power in the hands of the users and guests who stay at these Airbnb locations, rather than in the hands of government.

We want to keep this power in the hands of the costumers rather than forcing local restrictions on hosts, as various cities in Mississippi, including Jackson, are either attempting to do or have already done.

In Jan’s opinion, the city of Jackson should be doing things to promote Airbnb in Jackson.

“I think we’re doing the city of Jackson a favor,” Jan said. “We’re fabulous ambassadors. Visitors come here for a stay and I want it to be nice for them.”

Considering Jan’s level of constant guests, she is sure that this is what people want. And she enjoys putting on a good face for Jackson. Since moving here over a decade ago, Jan and her husband have considered if they wanted to stay in Jackson on several occasions. Ultimately, there is a lot about Jackson they are both proud of and they want to share that pride with others. Airbnb has given them a way to use their property to do exactly that.

“You kinda want to share that with other people, it’s easy to be here.”

Mississippi legislators drafted plenty of bills this year, but very few became law.

Despite the largest number of total bills presented in the last six years, the percentage of them that became law (12.66 percent) was the second lowest in the same span.

There were 2,876 bills — 127 more than the six-year average of 2,749 — that were drafted in this year’s session, which ended Friday. With 104 of them being appropriations bills — which fund state agencies and make up the budget — that left 2,772 general bills.

Only 260 general bills were passed by both chambers in the legislature and either have been signed or are awaiting the signature of Gov. Phil Bryant. That’s a rate of 9.45 percent for those keeping score at home.

Most bills signed into law by Bryant will go into effect on July 1, the first day of the new fiscal year.

The average in the last six years has been 11.01 percent for general bills and 14.38 percent for all bills.

Comparing the session with last year, 9.5 percent of all general bills and 12.87 percent of all bills in that session became law.

While the number of bills dropped has gone up in the last four years, the number that survive the process in the legislature to make it to the governor’s desk has shrunk every years since 2016.

The highest percentage session was 2013, when 17.27 of all bills and 13.9 percent of all general bills became law. That session had 2,658 total bills and 2,554 general ones.

The chances that this year’s bills passed by the legislature are signed by the governor are good. This session, Bryant vetoed only three out of 366 bills after averaging four vetoes per session the last three years.

Here are the bills Bryant vetoed in this year’s session:

• Senate Bill 2669 would’ve extended the repeal date on the Mississippi Development Authority’s Local Governments Capital Improvements Revolving Loan Fund. His veto message said another bill he signed, House Bill 713, reauthorized the program, thus eliminating the need for SB 2669.
• HB 576 would’ve allowed the State Superintendent of Education to send a representative in their stead to the State and School Employees Health Insurance Management Board. The governor said in his veto message that it would create an undesirable situation and precedent regarding the composition of the board.
• HB 666 would’ve increased the minimum age for the commitment of youthful offenders to the state training school from age 10 to age 12. Bryant’s veto message said the bill would prevent Youth Court judges from placing violent offenders  ages 10 and 11 in either the state school or secured detention.

Before the Mississippi legislature left town Friday as the session came to a close, it added $371 million in debt in the form of a large bond bill and several other bond bills for various projects.

Senate Bill 3065 adds up to about $207 million in additional spending that includes $85 million in borrowing for projects for the state’s universities, $25 million in projects at community colleges and $63 million for restoration of historic buildings statewide.

The House and Senate both signed off the compromise on Thursday and the bill needs only Gov. Phil Bryant’s signature to become law.

In a stunning admission while presenting the bill’s conference report, state Rep. Jeff Smith (R-Columbus) said that many of the projects were for “trying to help members that are going to have tough races.”

“We had some big-ticket items and this was the most for the IHL (Institutes for Higher Learning) that we’ve ever had,” said Smith, who is the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. “Overall, this bill smells good.”

The “Christmas tree” bond bill isn’t the only bit of largesse being put on the taxpayers’ credit card.

There was also $86 million in projects for the Mississippi Development Authority, $12.5 million to help with the construction of the Mississippi Center for Medically Fragile Children, $7.94 million for the Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund and $3.5 million for improvements at Lauderdale County’s industrial park. All were signed into law by Bryant this week.

Bryant also signed House Bill 983 into law on Thursday. This law will give Huntington Ingalls Industries $45 million from state bonds.

The bill says the funds are for capital improvements, investments and upgrades for the shipyard, part of a three-year deal to help Huntington Ingalls.

It’s not the first time for Huntington Ingalls receiving money from state taxpayers, as the state has borrowed $307 million for Ingalls improvements since 2004. The company was awarded $9.8 billion in new contracts in 2018 and was just given a $1.48 billion contract Tuesday for the 14^thSan Antonio class amphibious dock ship for the Navy.

Huntington Ingalls Industries received $45 million from taxpayers in 2018, $45 million in 2017, $45 million in 2016, $20 million in 2015, $56 million in 2008, $56 million in 2005 and $40 million in 2004.

The company leases the land for its Pascagoula shipyard from the state and is exempt from property taxes. It is one of south Mississippi’s largest employers, with 11,000 workers.

In addition to the San Antonioclass, Huntington Ingalls’ Pascagoula yard builds Arleigh Burkeclass destroyers, Americaclass amphibious warfare ships and the Legend class national security cutter for the U.S. Coast Guard.

The state already owes more than $4.441 billion in bond debt and legislators appropriated more than $285 million for debt service for fiscal 2020, which begins on July 1.

The legislature will also borrow $300 million for infrastructure needs under a deal reached in the 2018 special session.

The House and Senate have adopted the conference report to expand Mississippi’s film incentives program despite evidence that the program loses taxpayers money. It is on its way to Gov. Phil Bryant.

Those concerns were largely swept aside by proponents who either argued that the report from PEER was incomplete, inaccurate, or that there are other benefits that we can’t necessarily measure.

The 2015 report from PEER shows taxpayers receive just 49 cents for every dollar invested in the program. That means that for every dollar the state gives to production companies, we see just 49 cents in return for the general fund.

But Senate Bill 2603, which passed with few dissenting votes, will bring back the non-resident payroll portion of the incentives program. This allows for a 25 percent rebate on payroll paid to cast and crew members who are not Mississippi residents. It expired in 2017 and the Senate had refused to consider it. Until this year. Though the companies now have to be Mississippi-based production companies.

Two other incentive programs remained on the books. One is the Mississippi Investment Rebate, which offers a 25 percent rebate on purchases from state vendors and companies. The other is the Resident Payroll Rebate, which offers a 30 percent cash rebate on payroll paid to resident cast and crew members.

For those who question the PEER report, they are missing one key data point. All the studies on film incentives, and the body of research is significant, have painted a similar picture. We are not sitting on an island with some crazy, unsubstantiated report. As the PEER report outlined, no one is receiving more than 50 cents on every dollar put in the program.

This is why many of those states have scaled back or eliminated their programs. In 2009, all but six states offered some type of incentives for movie producers. As of 2018, just 31 states still have programs on the books. So, while other states are cutting back, Mississippi lawmakers appear interested in pressing forward.

And there is another point to be considered. Do we want Hollywood to think they control our state? That is certainly the emerging situation in Georgia, a state that has a massive film incentives program. Consider this recent tweet from actress Alyssa Milano:

Just last week, Gov. Phil Bryant signed a heartbeat bill into law. Or this commentary from director Rob Reiner concerning North Carolina’s bathroom bill a number of years ago:

When you incentive Hollywood to come to your state, they believe they can and should set policy for your state. If you dare to disagree with their value system, the script they follow is to economically boycott the hand that feeds them. We’ve seen this movie before. It’s not worth the price of admission.

Mississippi Center for Public Policy commends Gov. Phil Bryant for signing legislation that will protect and ensure the privacy of individuals who donate to charitable causes in Mississippi.

“We are very proud that Gov. Bryant has signed into law a piece of legislation that reinforces the American tradition of anonymous speech and the freedom of association to which citizens are entitled,” said Jon Pritchett, President and CEO of Mississippi Center for Public Policy. “Many on the left oppose this bill because they want to know who funds their opposition so they can bring pressure to bear on them and suppress their speech with coercion and harassment. Mississippi has now proudly defended the rights of citizens to support causes about which they care deeply.”

House Bill 1205, authored by Rep. Jerry Turner (R-Baldwyn) and championed by Rep. Mark Baker (R-Brandon), allows a nonprofit to defend itself in court if its confidential donor list is leaked by a rouge government agency or bureaucrat.

“The enemies of free speech and free association are making our political environment toxic by seeking to silence and intimidate anyone who disagrees with them,” said Jameson Taylor, Vice President for Policy for MCPP. “That is why this legislation is so essential and we thank Lt. Governor Reeves and Speaker Gunn for their work to get this important bill to the Governor’s desk.”

Protecting the privacy of those who donate to nonprofits is widely popular across the state with 81 percent of voters, including 91 percent of Republicans, 79 percent of independents, and 69 percent of Democrats, saying they support a law that protects the personal information of such donors.

Additionally, the polling revealed that 76 percent of Mississippi voters said they would be less likely to give to a charity if they knew their personal information, including the amount of their contribution, would be posted on a government website.

This would have an especially chilling effect in a state like Mississippi, which has a long history of charitable giving.

See statewide polling results here.

Mississippi saw a slight uptick in the number of jobs last month according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Preliminary estimates show nonfarm payrolls grew from 1,161,300 in January to 1,161,900 in February. This is an increase of over 12,000 from this period one year ago, but down about 700 jobs from two months ago.

The unemployment rate saw a slight increase from 4.7 to 4.8 percent. It is down from 4.9 percent a year ago.

Manufacturing, trade, transportation, and utilities, leisure and hospitality, and government all saw increases in number of jobs over the past month. Construction, professional and business services, and education and health services all posted decreases in number of jobs over the same time period.

Government has now grown by 1,100 jobs year-over-year. Yet, the most recent Census estimates show population in the state was down 3,100 between 2017 and 2018 meaning the state now has more employees to serve less people.

Among neighboring states, Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee also had growths in government employment ranging from 200-500 new employees. But they each also had increases in population over the prior year. Louisiana, which loss population last year as well, saw a decrease of 100 jobs in the government sector last month.

Louisiana is also the only neighboring state to have a loss of jobs from December, with a net loss of about 2,000 jobs.

Recent polling shows donor privacy legislation is widely popular with every demographic of Mississippi voter.

House Bill 1205 would protect donor privacy by allowing a nonprofit to defend itself in state court if its donor list is leaked by a rogue government bureaucrat. Eighty-one percent of voters said they would support legislation protecting the personal information of those who donate to charitable causes. Only 11 percent said they would be opposed.

Even more telling, 76 percent of Mississippi voters said they would be LESS likely to give to a charity if they knew their personal information, including the amount of their contribution, would be posted on a government website.

“Without the protections HB 1205 puts into place, charitable giving all across Mississippi will decline. This would be a tragedy because Mississippi has long been recognized as one of the most charitable states in the country,” said Dr. Jameson Taylor, Vice President for Policy with the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. “Mississippi’s donor privacy legislation will make sure charitable gifts in Mississippi go toward their real purpose, instead of being used on expensive legal fees that arise when a nonprofit has to defend itself from government bullying.”

“Many donors prefer to keep their giving out of the spotlight because they fear consumer boycotts, retaliation by public officials, or even threats to their safety as a result of having their personal support for causes made public,” Jon Pritchett, President and CEO of Mississippi Center for Public Policy said. “Transparency and public disclosure are requirements on our government; privacy and confidentiality are rights of the citizens. We must protect those fundamental rights and not be misled by groups who falsely but loudly claim something different.”

“Mississippi’s donor privacy legislation changes nothing pertaining to Mississippi campaign finance law,” concluded Dr. Taylor. “It changes nothing pertaining to political action committees (PACs). And it does not, and cannot, change anything pertaining to federal donor disclosure or nonprofit requirements.”

See statewide polling results here.

Wait times at the DMV have become a discussion topic over the past several months as it has been known to take several hours to get your driver’s license at some locations. Naturally, the immediate reaction is that we need to increase the size of the staff and/ or increase their pay.

But we can modernize the process of obtaining or renewing your driver’s license thanks to technology. But that will require innovation. And likely privatization.

There once was a time when the process of renting a movie consisted of going to a video rental store, selecting the video you’d like, and bringing the empty box to the cashier who would then give you your selection. Depending on the time of day, a store may or may not have been open, and, if it was, you may or may not have had to wait in line. If it was a Friday night, you probably did.

Then innovation happened. As it always does in the private sector. Netflix, in its original form, delivered movies to your home and Redbox set up self-service kiosks outside of various businesses throughout the country. Before long, Blockbuster was gone and the once thriving, store-based video rental business is a thing of the past.

Which brings us to the Department of Motor Vehicles and the process of getting a driver’s license in the state of Mississippi.

There has been a great deal of attention to the long wait lines at DMVs in the metro Jackson area and elsewhere. Department of Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher was questioned about this at a hearing in January. Higher pay for examiners was brought up, as were appointment systems. But that just skims over the larger issue.

DMVs need to be brought into the 21st century, but there is little vision to make that happen.

We have a limited number of kiosks inside the DMV and you can renew your license online if your address has not changed. That needs to be expanded. And that also presumes the kiosk is working.

Instead of a kiosk that is limited and only open when the DMV is open, we can put Redbox style kiosks outside of city halls or county courthouses, based on demand. They would be accessible 24 hours a day and could serve a variety of functions.

Renewing your license with no changes is easy, but we can do much more today. These kiosks have technology to read documents containing your new address. If you moved from out of state, they can quickly confirm your current license from that state. If your license is suspended or you owe back fees, the kiosk will recognize that. If you are getting a license for the first time, they will be able to serve you. You could even take your exam at the kiosk. They can take pictures. They can do vision exams. They can accept cash, checks, or credit cards.

We would just need a limited number of examiners to respond to the times the computers couldn’t read an address, or a similar incident. 

Simply because the government is failing to do something efficiently does not mean we should enlarge the government. And hope they do it better. Because this is a problem at DMVs across the country, whether you’re in Mississippi or states where government employees make significantly more.

There is no incentive or motivation to innovate. All of these ideas are closer than we may think, or expect. And for the person who has to take a day off from work to get a new license, they sound pretty good.

Thanks to the introduction of sports gambling, Mississippi gaming tax revenues are up 5.762 percent over the same period last year.

During fiscal year 2019, which ends July 1, the Mississippi Department of Revenue has transferred more than $88 million into the general fund, an increase of more than $6.4 million over the same time last year.

Total gaming tax collections, which include contributions to local governments and a fund for improvements to roads and bridges, totaled more than $169 million from July to February. That’s an increase of more than $9.2 million from last year’s numbers.

In the past four years, gross revenues for the state’s casinos have been largely flat until this year, with revenues up by more than $76 million to more than $1.42 billion. This amounts to 5.71 percent growth over the same time frame last year. That’s a $42 million increase from fiscal 2016, when the state’s casinos earned more than $1.378 million.

Only five of the state’s 28 casinos located in the central and northern parts of the state aren’t offering sports gambling. The first sports book operations in the state began taking bets in July.

If Nevada’s revenues from sports gambling are any guide, this windfall could continue to grow since Mississippi is the only state in the South with legalized sports gambling. The Louisiana Legislature might consider adding sports gambling to its casinos in its session, which starts April 8.

Nevada’s data shows that revenue from 2009 from sports pools added up to more than $118 million. In 2018, that figure grew to more than $253 million, an increase of 114.25 percent.

Mississippi, like five other states, got into the sports gaming business thanks to a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Murphy vs. National Collegiate Athletic Association, which struck down a federal law known as the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act.

This law allowed only Nevada casinos to host sports gambling.

In 2016, Mississippi temporarily legalized daily fantasy sports and created a study commission. The Legislature approved permanent legislation in 2017 that not only set guidelines for the Gaming Commission to regulate daily fantasy sports, but also struck language from state law that prohibited betting on sports in anticipation of a decision in the NCAA case.

Unlike Nevada — where players can set up an account at a casino and place wagers anywhere in the state from computers and mobile devices — Mississippi regulations require that all sports betting take place in a licensed casino and on mobile devices inside the casino property.