Blog - Page 32 of 191 - Mississippi Center for Public Policy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Jackson, MS): Today, the United States Supreme Court issued an administrative stay temporarily halting enforcement of the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate for private employers, which has been challenged in court by multiple states and private employers, including Gulf Coast Restaurant Group which is represented by the Mississippi Justice Institute (MJI).

The mandate requires companies with over 100 employees to force their employees to be vaccinated, or be subject to weekly testing and constant mask wearing – on pain of losing their job. Companies can face fines of up to $14,000 per violation for failing to enforce the mandate.

The mandate was scheduled to take effect on January 10, 2022. However, the Court’s administrative stay prevents the Biden Administration from taking any steps to enforce the mandate while litigation continues to determine whether the mandate is lawful.

“This decision is a major victory in our client’s fight against the Biden Administration’s unconstitutional vaccine mandate,” said MJI Director Aaron Rice. “We will continue fighting against the private employer mandate and we have every confidence that the Supreme Court will put a permanent stop to this unprecedented federal overreach.”

The Mississippi Justice Institute is a non-profit, constitutional litigation center and the legal arm of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.

For media inquiries, please reach out to Stone Clanton, [email protected].

Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed HB 531 to repeal the Mississippi income tax.

HB 531, also known as the "Mississippi Tax Freedom Act of 2022," was principally authored by Speaker Philip Gunn, along with Representatives Lamar, White, Steverson, Barnett, Massengill, Bain, Newman, Rushing, Kinkade, Morgan, Pigott, J. Ford, Calvert, Smith, Creekmore IV, Goodin, Tullos, Carpenter, Hood, Oliver, Robinson, and Boyd.

Similar to the 2021 income tax elimination House bill increases the tax exemption available to Mississippians (for single workers, the exemption would go up from $6,000 to $37,700 and for married workers, from $12,000 to $75,400). The remainder of the income tax elimination would occur in subsequent years by allowing a 1.5% rate of growth in spending but applying any revenue collected over that rate to increase the exemption until the tax is completely repealed. The Increases the sales tax rate is still there, though the offset is a full percentage point lower. The new bill also still reduces the grocery sales tax rate in subsequent years.

This year’s bill does have some differences, though, including the omission of the special interest sales tax rate increases. Additionally, this year’s plan supplements counties from the state to allow for a 35% reduction in car tags. Both of these are major improvements to the bill, as well as the reduction in increase in the proposed sales tax rate.

We applaud the efforts to abolish this awful levy, as we believe repealing the state income tax would be both a moral and economic good, leading to higher incomes, competitiveness, and prosperity for all Mississippians!

The Mississippi Center for Public Policy approves of this legislation and will continue to update you as the 2022 Mississippi Legislative Session continues, and you can keep up with measures by watching our Legislative Tracker.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Jackson, MS): Yesterday the Mississippi House of Representatives voted to repeal the state income tax with HB 531. The Mississippi Tax Freedom Act of 2022 was principally authored by Speaker Philip Gunn, along with Representatives Lamar, White, Steverson, Barnett, Massengill, Bain, Newman, Rushing, Kinkade, Morgan, Pigott, J. Ford, Calvert, Smith, Creekmore IV, Goodin, Tullos, Carpenter, Hood, Oliver, Robinson, and Boyd.

The Mississippi Center for Public Policy welcomes this early "victory" as a sign of hope and a mark of achievement on the 2022 Freedom Agenda.

Similar to the 2021 income tax elimination House bill:

Increases the tax exemption available to Mississippians. For single workers, the exemption would go up from $6,000 to $37,700 and for married workers, from $12,000 to $75,400.; The remainder of the income tax elimination would occur in subsequent years by allowing a 1.5% rate of growth in spending but applying any revenue collected over that rate to increase the exemption until the tax is completely repealed.
Increases the sales tax rate.
Reduces the grocery sales tax rate in subsequent years.

This year's bill does have some differences, though, including the omission of the special interest sales tax rate increases. Additionally, this year's plan supplements counties from the state to allow for a 35% reduction in car tags.

“Three cheers to the House of Representatives for voting to abolish the state income tax!” said Douglas Carswell, President & CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. “Our state needs a boost, and getting rid of the state income tax will give every Mississippi worker a tax break and help our economy to become more competitive. Neither Texas, Tennessee, nor Florida have a state income tax – and they are thriving. Scrapping Mississippi’s state income tax would help lift up our state.”

Senior Director of Policy & Communications Hunter Estes said, “This directly allows hard-working Mississippians to keep more of their own money, which is an idea everyone should be able to get behind. We're hopeful the Senate will pass this major legislation, too.”

The Mississippi Center for Public Policy believes repealing the state income tax would be both a moral and economic good, leading to higher incomes, competitiveness, and prosperity for all Mississippians!

For media inquiries, please reach out to Stone Clanton, [email protected].

A government by the people and for the people can only stay that way if it is accountable to the people. Every year, millions of taxpayer dollars, and thousands of Mississippi’s children are put through government schools in the state. While the state has fairly stringent accountability standards for many government entities, education transparency has not received the attention that it should.

The concept of transparency is not at all foreign to state governments. In fact, Mississippi has several provisions designed to promote transparency within state government by requiring financial disclosures posted online, open meetings, and other measures for various state entities. But how far have such efforts gone within the government school system?

Even though many other government entities have relatively stringent accountability protocols, the education system has not seen the fullest degree of accountability possible. While the state education system often makes its general academic directives public, there is often a degree of ambiguity even about what is specifically being taught on a day-to-day basis.

Many states have recently enacted academic transparency laws to remedy such ambiguity and have more transparency on what children are being taught. Rather than leaving citizens, taxpayers, and parents to wonder about what is being taught, such laws require the education system to post actual curriculum online for public inspection. Such measures are all the timelier in our day for two primary reasons, both from the standpoint of technological advancements that enable such accountability, and a growth in the polarization between parents and school administrators.

In the first place, the widespread of the internet, smartphones, and social media have all made the dissemination of information easier, cheaper, and more effective than ever before. In former days, an academic transparency measure might have required more expensive and time-consuming methods, such as mailing the public curriculum to individual addresses. Such technical challenges have been practically removed. Using the internet, even the most basic and inexpensive technology of today has the ability to publish school records publicly for millions of citizens to see.

Finally, issues such as Critical Race Theory, “Gender Theory,” and other issues have become increasingly divisive issues as parents across the country are coming to grips with an increasingly radicalized academic establishment. In order for citizens to be informed on what the government schools are actually teaching, posting curriculum online is a basic first step.

Transparency and accountability to the people are among the most fundamental ingredients of a good government. If the state of Mississippi has requirements for other government entities to post their information on the internet, government school administrators should be required to do the same with school curriculum.

Ultimately, a policy of accountability and open information for school curriculum is a policy grounded in the fundamentals of our nation’s founding ideals. Fundamentally, by giving the citizens a working knowledge of their government, the power is placed in the hands of the people -where it belongs. For in the words of Thomas Jefferson: “knowledge is power, knowledge is safety, and knowledge is happiness.” It’s time for the Mississippi Legislature to ensure that its people have the means and ability to have such knowledge and be completely informed about government school curriculum.

We are now over a week into this year’s legislative session. Hundreds of bills have already been dropped in the House and Senate on a vast range of topics.

Let’s jump right into the update on The Good, The Bad, and The Interesting…

The Good:

HB 464, the College Sticker Price Act of 2022, from Rep. Donnie Bell, would have Mississippi higher education institutions create a public calculator that would allow prospective students to better understand the costs of college and the availability of technical and vocational programs. This bill would be a big win for transparency within higher education and would help to strengthen the Mississippi workforce and give prospective students the capacity for greater reflection before deciding on career paths.

HB 415 and SB 2089, from Rep. Nick Bain and Sen. Angela Hill respectively, would both place limitations on the salary of the Mississippi State Superintendent. MCPP’s Fat Cat Report, released over the summer, revealed the largesse that exists in the salaries of many public officials. We currently have one of the highest-paid superintendents in the nation. We applaud these attempts to reel in the administrative state.

HB 231, from Rep. Lee Yancey, would authorize public and private employee exemptions from Covid-19 vaccine mandates. Government vaccine mandates, especially those concerning private businesses, are a massive overstep of governmental authority. This is a good bill that defends the freedom of Mississippians from encroachment.

HB 493, from Rep. Steve Hopkins and Rep. Dana Criswell, would give greater freedom to licensed physical therapists to help patients. With skyrocketing healthcare costs, we need to take substantive steps like this to reduce barriers to access and drive down costs.

The Bad:

HB 54 would automatically register voters. Clean voter rolls have become a major issue for Mississippi and states across the nation. Areas that have instituted similar policies have often had tremendous difficulty with messy voter rolls with a range of folks becoming or remaining registered who should not.

The Interesting:

Speaker Philip Gunn released the Mississippi Tax Freedom Act of 2022. The legislation seeks to get rid of the income tax, which would have a profound impact on the Mississippi economy and would allow hardworking Mississippians to keep more of their own money. We’ll be reviewing the legislation and providing further details on the impact of the bill.

HB 444 would create a committee to produce an official state song of Mississippi. We can only hope that if this happens then Gov. Reeves, Speaker Gunn, and Lt. Gov. Hosemann will offer the first rendition of the new tune.

As bills move through the legislative process, you can stay updated on them, learn about what they do, and find out how your legislators are voting through our Legislative Tracker.

If you have questions about upcoming legislative issues, please feel free to send me a question.

All the Best,

Hunter Estes, Senior Director of Policy & Communications

The Mississippi Legislature is taking the fight to Critical Race Theory with legislation aiming to ensure that public institutions of learning shall direct or compel students to affirm that all are equal.

Senator Michael McLendon (R-D. 1) has drafted a bill based on the Mississippi Center for Public Policy’s recent policy paper, Combatting Critical Race Theory in Mississippi. The act shall provide that no publicly-funded educational institution will be able to compel students to think that any sex, race, ethnicity, religion, or any other factor that an individual can or may not be able to change about themselves makes them any less of a person, inferior, nor superior. The legislation is simply about affirming that all are equal.

No one should have an issue with such a bill. Yet, around the country, there are constant talking-points from those on the Left either saying that there is no need for such a bill because Critical Race Theory is not being taught and is a “right-wing conspiracy” or those on the Left saying, “Yes, it is being taught and should be, therefore there is no need for a bill to combat it!” The fact of the matter is that – as our paper pointed out – Critical Race Theory is being taught in Mississippi in some form or fashion, and it is up to us to combat this Marxist-like agenda.

The best way to combat Critical Race Theory is with a good idea replacing the bad one it is. As the bill reiterates, we are all equal. The famous line from the Declaration of Independence goes: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Did America always live by this principle? No, but this amazing country has come so far and made so much progress. Whether it be the Constitution and Bill of Rights, the Emancipation Proclamation, innovation, Women’s Suffrage, or the Civil Rights Movement, we have shown the world that America is the greatest opportunity for human flourishing. Mississippi is no different.

The Mississippi Legislature has recently gaveled back into session, and unfortunately, not all bills are in the best interest of the state. One such bill, House Bill 206 introduced by Representative Robert Johnson, proposes raising the minimum wage to the arbitrary amount of $10.00 an hour. Such a proposal could threaten thousands of jobs and ultimately lead to economic hardship for many.

In order to understand the effect of minimum wage laws on actual wages and employment, it is important to consider the effects that such laws have had in states that raised the mandatory minimum wage. Fundamentally, when the heavy hand of government attempts to arbitrarily determine what employers must pay their employees, the effects can be devastating for employers and their employees.

Mississippi does not currently have a state-mandated minimum wage. Instead, employers in the state are subject to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. The federal minimum wage has a disproportionately high effect in Mississippi versus other states. This is because the dollar has more purchasing power in Mississippi than in any other state. Furthermore, it is harder for Mississippi businesses to generate a dollar of capital than other states. For instance, the federal hourly wage of $7.25 in Mississippi has the same purchasing power as $8.12 in Utah, where the federal minimum is the standard as well. Despite this, Mississippi is required to follow the same federal minimum wage as Utah.

While the federal minimum wage already has a disproportionate effect on Mississippi, House Bill 206 proposes raising the state minimum wage to $10.00 an hour, $2.75 above the federal standard. Because individual dollars have a high purchasing power in Mississippi and are harder for businesses to earn, such legislation could have an even-higher burden on workers and businesses than what has been seen in other states that have raised the minimum wage.

Consider the state of California. California has raised its minimum wage steadily over the last several years, which has ultimately led to a steady decrease in employment growth for certain industries. For instance, a Harvard Business School study found that a $1 increase in the minimum wage requirement led to a 14 percent increase in the likelihood of the closure of 3-star restaurants in the San Francisco area. Needless to say, when businesses close, it leaves many of the employees without employment at all.

California stands as a cautionary tale, and its minimum wage currently stands at $14 an hour for small businesses with less than 25 employees. The current proposal to raise the minimum wage to $10 in Mississippi might seem to be distant from the $14 wage in California. However, a $10 minimum wage in Mississippi could have the same negative effects as a $14 minimum wage in California. Because the dollar's purchasing power is higher in Mississippi, $10 in Mississippi is the equivalent of $13.30 in California -which is not too far from the damaging $14 minimum wage that has plagued California. Mississippi needs economic expansion, and the state should not handcuff businesses from providing employment. Rather than using the power of government to force businesses to follow arbitrary increases on the minimum wage, the state should reduce heavy-handed taxes and regulations that burden businesses and workers. The free market provides the tools for workers and businesses to grow. Mississippi should let its people work. A key way to do that is to avoid arbitrary minimum wage increases.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Today, the United States Supreme Court met for a special session to hear oral arguments concerning the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate for private employers, which has been challenged in court by multiple states and private employers, including Gulf Coast Restaurant Group, which is represented by the Mississippi Justice Institute (MJI).

The hearing concerned emergency motions seeking a stay of the vaccine mandate while litigation continues. The mandate is scheduled to take effect on January 10, 2022.

The mandate requires companies with over 100 employees to force their employees to be vaccinated, or be subject to weekly testing (at the employee’s expense) and constant mask-wearing – on pain of losing their job. Companies can face fines of up to $14,000 per violation for failing to enforce the mandate.

The mandate was initially halted by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which issued a stay against enforcement of the mandate while litigation challenging its legality continued. However, all lawsuits challenging the mandate were later consolidated before the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, where a three-judge panel issued an opinion revoking the temporary stay. The states and private employers challenging the mandate then sought emergency relief from the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the Court to issue a new stay before the mandate goes into effect on January 10.

"We are very grateful that the U.S. Supreme court has taken the extraordinary step of scheduling a special session to hear these arguments,” said MJI Director Aaron Rice. “We are confident that the U.S. Supreme Court will agree with us that the mandate is unconstitutional and unlawful and will halt the mandate before it can inflict untold damage on private employers and on our economy."

For media inquiries, please reach out to Stone Clanton, [email protected].

It’s common knowledge that Mississippi has a history of struggling with poverty. While leaders across the state have grappled with the poverty rate and debated the best method to address the problem, it is unfortunate to note that many of the proposals have been centered around government as the solution instead of individual growth and success.

At the heart of many of the initiatives against poverty is the idea that poverty is simply caused by a lack of resources. Thus, the theory goes that to fight against poverty, all the government must do is provide resources, and poverty will be eroded. While such a proposal may seem simple enough at first glance, such a view of poverty has led to many government programs ultimately failing and a cycle of dependence being created within many communities.

Such a purely materialistic view of poverty fails to account for other factors that contribute to poverty. Such factors can include family instability, addiction, education, criminal activity, the economic environment, and other factors. People in poverty are not mere machines that just need some more financial fuel. They are human beings with unique challenges and struggles.

It is the failure of government to recognize this that has caused so many government programs to be doomed for failure from the start. People are not mere statistics and math equations that can be plugged into bureaucratic central planning and be made to go with the program. No matter how well-organized and well-intentioned a government program might be, government office buildings and procedures have very little ability to work with citizens on the truly individual level.

On the contrary, individuals have the ability to look at their unique circumstances and find solutions and opportunities. For this reason, it is ultimately individual choices and personal responsibility that are the most effective means for people to come out of poverty. Yet, due to an ever-expanding government, many within the Magnolia State have been pushed away from the choices that can lift them out of poverty. This has been primarily done through the two-pronged nanny-state policies of handouts and regulations.

On the one hand, the welfare system often encourages people not to work. A study by the Cato Institute found that in some cases, government programs are paying recipients close or even more than what they could expect to earn through employment. In Mississippi, the state has the 7th highest per-capita welfare expenditures in the country.

In addition to encouragement not to work through certain welfare policies, the state’s current regulatory environment provides a direct discouragement from working in many cases. A study by the Institute for Justice found that Mississippi ranked as the 6^th most heavily burdened state for occupational licensing on low-income jobs -jobs that could otherwise help lift people out of poverty. The study also found that the average occupational license requires more than five months of education and training. History has exposed the failure of a perspective on poverty that simply views low-income citizens as statistical puzzle pieces that need adjustment through bureaucratic central planning and government handouts. Mississippi leaders should shift the perspective of poverty from an angle that focuses on government, to an angle that focuses on the people and attacks poverty by clearing the boundaries to individual responsibility and dignified labor.