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Dear friends,
As the Mississippi Legislature moves deeper into the 2026 session, several critical conservative bills are approaching the Tuesday, February 3rd committee deadline. What happens in the next few days will determine whether these common-sense reforms live or die. Below is an update on where these bills stand now.
Stopping the Secret Abortion Crisis in Mississippi
Chemical abortions account for the vast majority of abortions today, and abortion pills are being sold illegally in Mississippi, as they flood in from other states with little to no medical supervision. These women are often left with a mailed-in box of prescription drugs to deliver their deceased child and manage any complications alone. Several Mississippi lawmakers have sponsored bills to hold abortion pill traffickers accountable for harming women:
Other Republican-led states, including Texas, have acted. Mississippi must not fall behind.
Keeping Kids Safe Online
Sexual predators are using online social media platforms to target children. Studies show that it takes less than two minutes for children with social media accounts to receive obscene images from adult predators. Rep. Joey Hood is committed to fixing this problem and keeping kids safe, with his bill HB 1224. This bill is referred to the Judiciary A Committee, chaired by Rep. Hood. This bill strengthens needed protections for minors and holds platforms accountable.
Prohibiting Kids From Viewing Obscene, Degrading and Illegal Performances
Many Mississippians may be shocked to learn that current law does not adequately protect children from being exposed to obscene performances. New guidance from the Supreme Court allows us to update our law. These bills close this dangerous loophole and put children first.
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SB 2719 is sponsored by Sen. Neil Whaley, (referred to the Judiciary A Committee, chaired by Sen. Brice Wiggins);
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HB 1686 is sponsored by Rep. Lance Varner, (referred to the Judiciary A Committee, chaired by Rep. Joey Hood).
Aligning State Driver’s Licenses With Biological Sex
Sen. Angela Hill has sponsored legislation (SB 2322, referred to the Judiciary B Committee, chaired by Sen. Joey Fillingane) which ensures driver’s licenses are consistent with biological sex. This bill is about ensuring high-quality healthcare and protecting frontline DMV workers from claims of harassment and intimidation.
Guaranteeing Fair Banking for All
Mississippians should never be de-banked because of their religious beliefs, political views, or because of the nature of their lawful businesses (oil and gas; gun manufacturers; agriculture, etc.). The bill includes remedies to discourage debanking while protecting banks from frivolous lawsuits. Sen. Joey Fillingane sponsored SB 2139, (referred to the Business and Financial Institutions Committee, chaired by Sen. Chris Johnson) and Rep. Shane Aguirre sponsored HB 1237, (referred to the Banking and Financial Services Committee, chaired by Rep. Shane Aguirre) to prevent this type of unlawful discrimination.
Encouraging Work, Not Welfare Fraud
The Senate and House are considering bills that encourage work and reduce welfare fraud. Neighboring states reduce the duration of unemployment benefits when the unemployment rate is low. Mississippi is an outlier and a potential fraud magnet by allowing people to collect unemployment for 6 months (26 weeks), regardless of whether the economy is good. SB 2678 by Sen. Lane Taylor and HB 1405 by Rep. Elliot Burch fix this.
Aligning Mississippi welfare with Trump’s OBBA (more work, less fraud): this bill updates the very popular welfare-to-work law passed by Mississippi Republicans in 2017 (the “Hope Act”). HB 1387 is sponsored by Rep. Dan Eubanks.
Keeping Communities Safe from Criminal Illegal Immigrants
Sen. Angela Hill has sponsored legislation (SB 2114) to make illegal immigration a state crime, while Sen. Jeff Tate has a bill (SB 2800) to encourage local law enforcement to work with Homeland Security to deport criminal illegal aliens. Sen. Hill also has legislation (SB 2828) that imposes a remittance fee on the $1.5 billion in international wire transfers flowing through Mississippi. These remittances are often used by drug cartels and human traffickers to launder money.
SB 2114 is referred to the Judiciary B committee, chaired by Sen. Joey Fillingane. SB 2800 is referred to the Judiciary B and Appropriations committees, respectively chaired by Sen. Fillingane and Sen. Briggs Hopson. SB 2828 is a priority of the Trump Administration and was referred to the Finance Committee, chaired by Sen. Josh Harkins
A Few Other Key Bills That Have Passed Committee Already
Open to Religion Act (HB 1310), sponsored by Rep. Chuck Blackwell: this bill updates school prayer policies based on recent guidance from the Supreme Court in the Texas Coach Kennedy case. The bill creates an orderly and constitutional process that allows students and teachers to voluntarily pray at public school, during lunch hour, recess, etc. Yet to pass is a similar strong bill (SB 2514) by Sen. Daniel Sparks.
Safeguard Honest Integrity in Elections for Lasting Democracy (SHIELD), sponsored by Rep. Noah Sanford: This bill (HB 1253) has passed out of the House Apportionment and Elections Committee. This bill makes it easier to identify and remove fraudsters and illegal aliens from Mississippi voter rolls. A similar strong bill (SB 2588) by Sen. Jeremy England has passed out of the Senate Elections Committee. This bill is a priority for the Trump administration.
Why This Week Matters
Committee deadlines determine which bills move forward and which ones are quietly killed. Now is the time for voters to pay close attention. We will to continue to keep you informed as the battles unfold.
Thank you for standing for life, faith, family, and freedom in Mississippi.
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