Dear friends,

While many of us were tuned into President Trump’s remarkable, inspiring speech Tuesday night, Tuesday was also another big day in the Mississippi legislative process. 

All bills that had passed one chamber now needed to clear committee to remain alive. Some did. Some didn’t. We’ll dive into that below.

Bills to stop DEI remain alive

Legislation that will protect students from divisive DEI teachings continues to advance in both chambers. We have seen direct and immediate directives from the Trump administration wiping out DEI at the federal level. We now need strong accountability via private cause of action or AG enforcement on the state level. There is no way we can trust the federal or state education establishment to rid us of this rot. 

Both bills that would restrict DEI are still alive. House Bill 1193, sponsored by Rep. Joey Hood, and Senate Bill 2515, sponsored by Sen. Nicole Boyd, advanced out of committee and are headed to the Senate and House floors, respectively. Changes were made to both bills so lawmakers will have to hash out differences before a bill can make it to the Governor. 

Let’s come together and fix this woke madness now. 

Protecting women

Legislation to protect the safety, privacy, and dignity of women in correctional facilities advanced. House Bill 188, sponsored by Rep. Gene Newman, known as the Dignity and Safety for Incarcerated Women Act, cleared the Senate Corrections Committee after passing the House. It would mandate that restrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping quarters in correctional facilities be designated exclusively for males or females and that incarcerated individuals can only access facilities designated for their biological sex.

Parental rights bill dies in the Senate

All bills to reinforce parental authority and limit government overreach into family decisions did not make it out of the Senate Education Committee. House Bill 1081, sponsored by Rep. Kimberly Remak, would affirm and protect parents' fundamental rights to direct the upbringing, education, care, and custody of their children. It passed the House with just 5 dissenting votes. 

This comes two weeks after that same committee refused to consider Senate Bill 2897, Sen. Tyler McCaughn’s strong parental rights legislation. Similarly, the House killed House Bill 120, sponsored by Rep. Lee Yancey, which would prohibit health care providers and institutions from providing health care to children without parental consent earlier in the session.

Why is this so hard to pass by our lawmakers when the electorate is so strongly in favor?

What else happened?

👉 House Bill 599, sponsored by Rep. Price Wallace, would add civil liabilities for child sexual exploitation, distribution of child pornography and other obscene matters by commercial entities. It cleared the Senate Judiciary A committee and now heads to the Senate floor. 

👉 House Bill 1308, sponsored by Rep. Jansen Owen would create a crime for the sexual grooming of children. It cleared the Senate Judiciary B committee and now heads to the Senate floor. A companion bill, Senate Bill 2309, sponsored by Sen. Joey Fillingane, did not advance in the House. 

👉 Senate Bill 2192, sponsored by Sen. Angela Hill, which would require the identification of sex on a driver’s license to be consistent with the sex of the individual that was determined at birth did not advance out of committee in the House and it is dead.

Let’s keep working to get these strong bills over the finish line!

Stay tuned!

Please check out previous stories here.