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Dear Jack,

The legislature has less than a week for committees to report general bills and constitutional amendments in their original chamber. In order to meet this deadline, committees are busy holding hearings this week to discuss some of the thousands of bills that have been introduced.
Gov. Tate Reeves will see a challenger in his primary race. Dr. John Witcher, known for founding Mississippi Against Mandates, has filed to run for Governor, joining Reeves and Brandon Presley in vying for the state's highest elected position.

A second candidate has qualified to become the Northern District Public Service Commissioner. Tupelo native Tanner Newman announced his candidacy Monday, and he will face Mandy Gunasekara in the Republican primary election in August.
Over 2,300 bills have been introduced in this legislative session.

THE GOOD
- HB 1125 from Rep. Gene Newman creates the Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedures (REAP) Act. This will prohibit minors from receiving transgender procedures and surgeries.
- HB 478 from Rep. Sam Mims creates the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact. This allows for those with occupational therapy licenses in other states to offer services in Mississippi and vice versa, allowing Mississippians to grow businesses.
- HB 1158 by Rep. Lee Yancey amends the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act. This bill prevents the medical board from adding over-regulatory requirements.

THE BAD
- HB 401 revises certain provisions relating to a manufacturer's ownership of a motor vehicle dealership. This bill would discourage electric vehicle companies and innovation from coming into the state and goes against the free market.
- HB 968 would generate a massive tax increase on businesses and consumers by placing taxes on software used as business inputs. This in turn would get passed down to the consumer and will ultimately raise the cost that consumers will pay.
- SB 2458 and SB 2477 both call for a tax rebate. While MCPP believes in eliminating taxes, the proper way to go about this would be to have an overall tax cut, rather than a one-time check.

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Senator Jeremy England discusses HB 401 which would discourage electric vehicle companies from entering the state.

THE INTERESTING
- HB 717 from Rep. Michael Evans prohibits elected officials from switching political parties during their term of office. Several lawmakers have switched parties throughout the current term, so this would be an interesting bill if it were to pass.
- HB 1027 from Rep. Jill Ford and Rep. Otis Anthony proposed the blueberry be designated as the state fruit.
We have been working hard to push our conservative plans through the legislature. Several lawmakers have been a great help in ensuring that conservative ideas are being carried out. A full list of MCPP's goals for the legislative session can be found here ([link removed]) .

Here are some bills introduced that support our agenda:
- HB 818 from Rep. Lee Yancey ensures the state Public Employees' Retirement System Board adheres to their fiduciary duty of making decisions based on fiscally responsible principles rather than social and environmental causes. It ensures the board makes investment decisions with the sole purpose of maximizing returns.
- HB 1074 by Rep. Jill Ford enacts the Title IX Preservation Act. This codifies the definition of a woman and protects women in sports, schools and other entities.
- SB 2459 from Sen. Chris Caughman and Sen. Philip Moran reduces and phases out the state income tax. By the calendar year 2028, the income tax would completely be eliminated.

Have a great rest of your week!
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All the best,

Tyler B. Jones
Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs

PS you can stay up to date with every bill introduced during the session through the 2023 Legislative Tracker ([link removed]) found on our website.

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