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Dear Jack,

There are only a few weeks left of the session, and the Mississippi Legislature is deciding which bills to take to conference.

Conference weekend is set for March 25, but many are saying that lawmakers may not meet on that day. Instead, they may discuss bills set to go to conference during the week prior to March 25.

Here is what has been going on this week in the Capitol!

Gov. Tate Reeves signed the protectionist "EV bill," orHB 401 ([link removed]) , yesterday, and we are greatly disappointed in his decision.

This bill revises certain provisions relating to a manufacturer's ownership of motor vehicle dealerships. It is an anti-free market policy because it prevents electric vehicle manufacturers from locating dealerships in the state. It discourages competition, and now because of its passage, EV companies will choose other locations outside of Mississippi to build their sites and not bring jobs into our state.

Medical marijuana officially became legal during the 2022 Legislative Session, but several changes were made this year to ensure the program's efficiency and readiness.

HB 1158 ([link removed]) made around 30 small adjustments to the program. Changes include not requiring physicians prescribing medicial marijuana to obtain additional certifications, but requiring patients to have identification cards for purchasing.

SB 2079 ([link removed]) from Sen. Angela Hill allows for firearms in schools. This bill establishes the "Mississippi School Protection Act," a program in which school employees can be trained to act as "guardians" and conceal carry on school grounds for the purpose of defense against active shooters.

We believe this is a good policy and will help students and teachers in the case of an emergency. This bill has passed the Senate, House and has been returned to the Senate for concurrence.

Mississippians may soon be voting on approval of a ballot initiative process. After the 2021 Supreme Court ruling striking down the state's previous initiative process, lawmakers have been debating the proper way to bring back an initiative process in the state.

SCR 533 ([link removed]) amends the state constitution to allow for citizens to bring forward ballot initiatives.

In the original version of the bill, it called for 12% of the entire Mississippi electorate, but it was amended last week in the House to go back to the original requirement of 12% of Mississippians who voted in the last presidential election.

While we are glad the threshold has been lowered, we do not completely support this legislation because it excludes particular topics from being considered through the process. Regardless of someone's stance on a specific issue, these prohibitions prove to be undemocratic.

The main topic of discussion during this year's session has been the controversial Jackson bills.

A bill to establish the Mississippi Capitol Region Utility Act died last week. SB 2889 ([link removed]) would have placed the long-term control of Jackson water, wastewater and sewer under a nine-member board.

Although this water bill died, HB 1168 ([link removed]) , which seeks to limit special sales taxes to pay only for upgrades and improvements on water infrastructure, passed the Senate and has been returned to the House for concurrence.

SB 2343 ([link removed]) extends Capitol Police jurisdiction into parts of northern Jackson up to the Madison county line.
It passed the House last week, but the Senate declined to concur, so it will be debated in conference.

Even though this bill passed the House, HB 1020 ([link removed]) , commonly known as the "CCID bill," also passed the Senate with an amendment which would give Capitol Police jurisdiction over the entire city. If the House concurs with the Senate's changes to HB 1020, then the Capitol Police would be governing the entire city of Jackson, rather than just the areas outlined in SB 2343.

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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