From Your Capitol - Week of January 21, 2019

The Mississippi legislature entered its third week of the 2019 Legislative Session when it gavaled in on Monday afternoon. The deadline for introducing bills was Monday night, so the calendar quickly became full with bills and resolutions to discuss. Although most work is still happening in committees, several pieces of legislation reached the House floor.

On Tuesday, House Bill 571 was introduced to the House as a whole. HB 571 would work to end the commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking of children. More significantly, Section 97-29-49 of the Mississippi Code of 1972 was amended in the bill to decriminalize prostitution so minors under 18 cannot be charged with prostitution. The bill comes after Speaker Philip Gunn’s Commission on Public Policy hosted a summit on human trafficking in Mississippi on October 3, 2018. HB 571 passed with a bipartisan vote of 116-3, and it will be sent to the Senate for consideration.

Other relatively uncontested bills brought to the House floor included a bill prohibiting any food product that contains animal tissue and plant or insect-based products from being labeled as meat (HB 793), legislation increasing the maximum annual gross sales of a cottage food operation (HB 702) and a bill that would exclude equipment operated and owned by the Mississippi Military Department from the definition of commercial motor vehicle under the Commercial Driver’s License Act (HB 751).

Below is a list of bills I've authored for the 2019 session.

HB 633

Motor vehicle; remove prohibition on leaving unattended without first stopping the engine and removing the key. 01/16 (H) Referred To Transportation

HB 634

Tax Credit Scholarship Act; create. 01/16 (H) Referred To Education;Ways and Means

HB 856

Deputy sheriffs; remove requirement to be qualified elector of the state. 01/21 (H) Referred To Judiciary B

HB 857

State and United States flag; require state universities to display when in session. 01/21 (H) Referred To Rules

HB 858

Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship Program; prescribe standards for participation. 01/21 (H) Referred To Education

HB 859

Local and private bills proposing to extend local tax for second time; require direct referendum. 01/21 (H) Referred To Local and Private Legislation

HB 909

School term; revise to prohibit beginning before last Monday in August. 01/21 (H) Referred To Education

HB 910

Firearms Protection Act; create. 01/21 (H) Referred To Judiciary B

HB1012

Stun gun; remove the term from the prohibited firearms category. 01/21 (H) Referred To Judiciary B

HB1202

Bureau of Narcotics; revise list of information required to be listed on its seizure and disposition website. 01/21 (H) Referred To Judiciary B

HB1267

Industrial hemp; legalize and regulate for certain purposes. 01/21 (H) Referred To Agriculture

HB1268

Appeal from judgement by a county or municipal authority; revise standard of construction for determining constitutionality. 01/21 (H) Referred To Judiciary A

If you have any questions, concerns, or request, please email me at criswelldana@yahoo.com or give me a call on my cell phone at (901) 275-4191.

It is an honor to serve you, and I humbly ask for your prayers as we seek to make decisions that help the people of our state.

Dana