We are 2/3 of the way finished with the 2023 Legislative Session! Time is flying by, but our lawmakers are working hard to ensure this year is not a lame-duck session.
Here are some pieces of legislation that have seen action over the last week!
The topic at the forefront of most discussions throughout this legislative session has involved Medicaid expansion, specifically postpartum care.
SB 2212 from Sen. Kevin Blackwell aims to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months. After Speaker Phillip Gunn and House Medicaid committee chairman Joey Hood received a letter from the state Division of Medicaid urging them to support this legislation, the committee passed the bill with members citing this effort would provide additional resources to pregnant women in a post-Dobbs era.
This bill has been transferred to the House floor and has until next Wednesday for the legislature to take any action.
One of the most controversial bills throughout this session is what has been referred to as the "CCID bill."
HB 1020 from Rep. Trey Lamar, which expands Capitol Police jurisdiction and would have created an appointed court system within the Capitol Complex Improvement District, saw some changed language when transferred to the Senate. The Senate Judiciary A committee amended the bill Thursday by completely eliminating the unelected court system and replacing it with state support for five new, temporary judges for Hinds County's court system.
The bill has been sent to the Senate floor, and if it passes, it will be sent back to the House to approve the new amendment.
In other efforts to help pregnant women, HB 1671 from Speaker Phillip Gunn provides an income tax credit for pregnancy resource centers. Under this bill, taxpayers can donate up to 50% of their total tax liability to qualifying pregnancy resource centers and foster care organizations.
The bill passed the House floor and has been transferred to the Senate Finance committee.
After reports of several Chinese balloons flying across the American frontier, lawmakers are discussing if Mississippi should do business with China.
HB 280 from Rep. Becky Currie originally intended to prohibit all sales of land with foreign entities. After an amendment in the House, the bill now reads that a committee would study the concept of property sales to certain foreign buyers before enacting it into law.
After passing the House, it passed the Senate Agriculture committee and has been sent to the Senate floor.
HB 771 from Rep. Donnie Scoggin makes changes to the state's Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant and Higher Education Legislative Plan for Needy Students grant programs. Currently, those who qualify for the HELP grant, which provides for low-income students, do not qualify to receive state MTAG dollars. This bill would eliminate that exclusion and allow HELP recipients to be MTAG recipients as well.
The bill passed the House and has been transferred to the Senate Colleges and Universities and Appropriations committees.
A bill that really piqued my interest was a bill to do with pecans.
SB 2523 from Sen. Mike Seymour enacts criminal penalties for pecan theft. This bill would charge those who steal pecans during harvesting season with larceny and requires restitutions be made to the owner of the pecans through money or replaced pecans.
The bill passed the House floor and has been referred to the Senate Agriculture committee.
Although only one month of the session remains, we continue to see new developments in the works. I hope you stay aboard our journey as we advocate to create position change in Mississippi.
