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From Your Capitol - February 17, 2020
The sixth week of the 2020 legislative session brings us to the first major legislative deadline, the last day for legislators to request bills written by legislative services. The next major deadline is Monday, February 17, which is the last day a bill may be submitted for consideration for this session. The process for a bill to be considered by the legislature begins with an idea. Sometimes these ideas come from state or national groups, but often the ideas come from citizens who have contacted a legislator. The legislator takes that idea and begins a discussion with the House Legislative Services which consist of attorneys who work for the Mississippi House of Representatives. Their job is to research the legal aspects of the idea and provide the legislator with a report of their findings. It then becomes the responsibility of the legislator to determine if he wants to have the attorney write the bill. Once the bill is written the legislator begins discussing his bill with other legislators and gaining support. Some ideas become very popular and other legislators will “sign on” to the bill. Once others have “signed on” they become co-authors or sometime referred to as co-sponsors of the bill. Before the deadline, the original author will “drop” the bill. This phrase comes from the actual process of putting a paper copy of the bill in a box located on the floor of the House chamber. The bill is actually dropped into the box. At this point the bill becomes the property of the House and will begin the process of being assigned to a committee for review and hopefully voted on by the entire body of the House of Representatives. What ideas do you have for legislation that would help our state? Bill of the Week Mississippi Seafood Marketing Law of 2020, House Bill 551 This bill provides for needless government overregulation on a market that is already sufficiently regulated by the FDA. This legislation also authorizes the state government to enter the premises of seafood distributors without any court action and forcibly seize their products for the purposes of testing; all of this in the name of ensuring proper labeling that is already required by the Food and Drug Administration. This legislation provides yet another way for the state government to waste taxpayer dollars in the faux pursuit of "consumer protection". My Votes
Bill
Bill Description
Vote
Walnut Grove Correctional Facility; require DFA to ascertain certain cost estimates to make repairs at the facility.
2/13/2020
Nay
Cottage food operation; increase maximum annual gross sales to $35,000.00 and authorize to advertise over the Internet.
2/12/2020
Yea
Uninsured Motorist Act; provide coverage for claims involving person or entity immune under MTCA.
2/12/2020
Yea
Credit for reinsurance; provide requirements for.
2/12/2020
Nay
County purchases; increase the minimum acquisition costs of items and services for certain purposes.
2/12/2020
Nay
"Mississippi Seafood Marketing Law of 2020"; enact to require consumer notice and labeling of country of origin on all foreign and imported seafood.
2/12/2020
Nay
Mississippi Boll Weevil Management Corporation; extend repealer on requirement that audits be submitted by Nov. 15.
2/12/2020
Yea
Auto insurance; delete repealer on statute requiring repair shop and lien-holder as additional payees on check paying claim.
2/12/2020
Nay
Mr. William J. "Billy" McCoy; honor the life, service and legacy of upon his passing and express great sympathy to his family.
2/12/2020
Yea
Ted Parker; commend upon being named the 2019 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year.
2/12/2020
Yea
Charvarius Ward; commend and congratulate for being a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, the Super Bowl LIV Champions.
2/12/2020
Yea
Chris Jones; commend and congratulate for being a member of the Super Bowl LIV Champions Kansas City Chiefs.
2/12/2020
Yea
Mr. Albert M. Ray, Sr.; commend stellar career and service of.
2/12/2020
Yea
Remembering the professional football legacy of Oakland Raider Super Bowl Champion William (Willie) Brown of Yazoo City.
2/12/2020
Yea
Extend sympathy of Legislature to surviving family of Panola County Constable Raye Hawkins.
2/12/2020
Yea
Recognize March as "Theatre in Our Schools" month.
2/12/2020
Yea
Celebrating the 175th Anniversary of Neely Baptist Church in Greene County.
2/12/2020
Yea
Commend Nanih Waiya High School "Warriors" Football Team for second consecutive Class 1A State Championship.
2/12/2020
Yea
Commend Oxford High School "Chargers" Football Team and Coach Chris Cutcliffe for first-ever 6A State Championship.
2/12/2020
Yea
Recognize outstanding military career of U.S. Army Reserve Lt. Colonel "Dex" McCain of Batesville on his retirement.
2/12/2020
Yea
Pay tribute to the memory of former Jackson City Commissioner and Mississippi Public Service Commissioner Nielsen Cochran.
2/12/2020
Yea
Commend Murrah High School Mustang Speech and Debate Team for national awards and four senior Academic All-Americans.
2/12/2020
Yea
Mourn the passing of Alcorn State University Historian Dr. Josephine Posey.
2/12/2020
Yea
Commend Lt. Col. (Retired)" Dr. William "Bill" Cooley.
2/12/2020
Yea
Commend the 2019 West Point High School "Green Wave" Football Team for winning their four-peat Class 5A Championship.
2/12/2020
Yea
Recognize January 13 as Founders Day for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority public service organization.
2/12/2020
Yea
Commemorate 150th Anniversary of Saint Joseph Catholic School.
2/12/2020
Yea
Designate February 12, 2020, as "World Cholangiocarcinoma Day".
2/12/2020
Yea
Recognize former Senator Willie Simmons as first African American elected to the Mississippi Transportation Commission.
2/12/2020
Yea
Remember JSU Legend Walter Payton on the occasion of being named as No. 16 in ESPN's College Football's 150 Greatest Players.
2/12/2020
Yea
"Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Day at the Capitol"; observe on March 17, 2020.
2/12/2020
Yea
Commend legacy of former Ole Miss record-breaking quarterback Eli Manning on the occasion of his retirement from the New York Giants.
2/12/2020
Yea
Commend the public service of Hinds County Supervisor Peggy Hobson Calhoun on the occasion of her retirement.
2/12/2020
Yea
Recognize Richard Kelso as the recipient of the 2020 Governor's Arts Award for Excellence in Visual Arts.
2/12/2020
Yea
Recognize Steve Forbert as the recipient of the 2020 Governor's Arts Award for Excellence in Music.
2/12/2020
Yea
Recognize Henry Danton as the recipient of the 2020 Governor's Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance.
2/12/2020
Yea
Recognize Tougaloo College Art Collections as the recipient of the 2020 Governor's Arts Award for Preservation of the Arts.
2/12/2020
Yea
Recognize The Jackson Southernaires as the recipient of the 2020 Governor's Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement in Music.
2/12/2020
Yea
Recognize achievements of Grammy Award-Winning Country Music Singer-Songwriter Marty Stuart and his commitment to Mississippi.
2/12/2020
Yea
Commissioner of Insurance; provide shall resolve certain disputes between provider and insured regarding billing.
2/11/2020
Nay
If you have ideas or opinions I am always happy to discuss ways to make Mississippi a better place to live. Dana