Dear Friend,

It has undoubtedly been an eventful week here in Jackson. I want to make sure that y’all get a transparent view into what’s happening with the legislature at the moment. Hopefully, you will find this insight helpful…

Here’s the good, the bad, and the interesting:

The Good:
  - The House voted overwhelmingly to eliminate the income tax with the passage of the Mississippi Tax Freedom Act of 2022. This is a sweeping move that would allow Mississippians to keep more of their own money. It also slashes the car tag rate and grocery tax, further ensuring that all Mississippians benefit from this approach to tax reduction.
  - SB 2162, introduced by Sen. Kevin Blackwell, would create a pilot program to require certain agencies to develop a comprehensive regulatory catalog and to not introduce a new regulation without first getting rid of two or more regulations.
  - HB415, SB 2186, SB 2089, and SB 2424 introduced by Rep. Nick Bain, Sen. Angela Hill, Sen. Chris McDaniel, and Sen. Dennis DeBar, respectively, would all place limitations on the salary of the State Superintendent of Education. I’m glad to see these efforts to reel in administrative spending. To read more about the largesse that exists in many public salaries, check out our Fat Cat Report here.
  - SB 2434 from Sen. Jeremy England would have school districts make lesson plans publicly accessible. This would be an astounding move of transparency that would give parents a clearer view into what their children are learning and give teachers across the state a means of lesson sharing.

The Bad:
  - HB 108 would expand the state’s Medicaid system. On average, 25% of current Medicaid payments across states are made wrongfully. Why would we expand a failing system?

The Interesting:
  - The Senate voted to send the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act to the House for consideration. While the bill establishes a medical marijuana program in the state, it also places significant taxes on the industry.
  - HB 645 would require sellers to let folks know if a mattress was previously owned. I wouldn’t sleep on this piece of legislation, just as I’d prefer knowing if a mattress I bought had already been used!


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.