Rep. Dana Criswell - From Your Capitol, Final Week
The 2018 Legislative sessions ended on Wednesday March, 28. The final stretch of the legislative session consist of final votes on appropriation bills and conference reports. I've learn over the past few years that appropriation bills are a strange entity. To meet deadlines during the session the legislature passes "dummy bills" that generally have no money attached to them. This process has developed over the years as a way for legislators to circumvent the mandated deadlines. So what happens is everyone votes just to keep the bill alive so the folks on the appropriation committee can continue to work out the final budget numbers. All appropriation bills go to conference before the final version is passed.
Conference reports are another strange entity floating around the capitol. If a bill, like an appropriation bill, is passed by the House then the Senate makes any changes then the bill must return to the House for concurrence or to invite conference. In conference three legislators from the House and three from the Senate get together and work out the differences.
Below is a list of all votes I cast on Sunday March 25, 2018;
Most of the following votes were conference reports on appropriations bills to fund various state agencies for the upcoming fiscal year. One repeated concern that I hear from constituents is that our government is too big. While I appreciate the efforts of our leadership to craft these appropriations using a limited budget, our government is too large. We should practice the conservative principle of limited government by decreasing the tax dollars that are spent on these agencies and regulatory boards. For these reasons, I voted against some state government spending bills because they do not fund fundamental functions of government. Below I’ve listed each bill along with the agency receiving tax dollars, and the vote totals.
HB 1579: Auctioneer’s Commission, I voted No, the measure passed 110-5.
HB 1580: Medical Licensure Board, I voted Yes, the measure passed 114-2.
HB 1581: Public Employees Retirement System, I voted Yes, the measure passed 113-1.
HB 1583: District Attorneys, I voted Yes, the measure passed 116-1.
HB 1585: Legislature, I voted Yes, the measure passed 113-3.
HB 1586: Capital Post-Conviction Counsel, I voted Yes, the measure passed 115-1.
HB 1587: State Public Defender, I voted Yes, the measure passed 114-1.
HB 1589: Fire Academy, I voted Yes, the measure passed 114-1.
HB 1593: Authority for Educational Television, I voted No, the measure passed 90-24.
HB 1594: Library Commission, I voted Yes, the measure passed 109-8.
HB 1595: Arts Commission, I voted No, the measure passed 114-3.
HB 1596: Department of Archives and History, I voted No, the measure passed 114-3.
HB 1590: Public Service Commission, I voted Yes, the measure passed 117-1.
HB 1591: Public Utilities Staff, I voted Yes, the measure passed 116-1.
HB 1599: Department of Health, I voted Yes, the measure passed 115-1.
HB 1604: Forestry Commission, I voted No, the measure passed 116-2.
HB 1605: Soil and Water Conservation Commission, I voted No, the measure passed 115-2.
HB 1607: Department of Environmental Quality, I voted No, the measure passed 112-5.
HB 1608: Grand Gulf Military Monument Commission, I voted Yes, the measure passed 111-4.
HB 1609: Oil and Gas Board, I voted No, the measure passed 114-2.
HB 1616: Department of Finance and Administration Projects, I voted Yes, the measure passed 115-1.
SB 2945: Institutions of Higher Learning Subsidiary Programs, I voted No, the measure passed 113-4.
SB 2946: Institutions of Higher Learning Student Aid, I voted Yes, the measure passed 113-2.
SB 2947: Institutions of Higher Learning, Univ. Medical Center, I voted No, the measure passed 109-3.
SB 2948: Alcorn State Univ. Agricultural Programs, I voted No, the measure passed 114-2.
SB 2949: MSU Ag and Forestry Experiment Station, I voted No, the measure passed 114-2.
SB 2950: MSU Extension Service, I voted No, the measure passed 115-2.
SB 2951: MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center, I voted No, the measure passed 114-2.
SB 2952: MSU Veterinary Medicine College, I voted No, the measure passed 115-2.
HB 1606: Department of Marine Resources, I voted Yes, the measure passed 115-1.
SB 2958: Department of Public Safety, I voted Yes, the measure passed 117-1.
SB 2956: Emergency Management Agency, I voted Yes, the measure passed 116-1.
SB 2957: Military Department, I voted Yes, the measure passed 117-1.
SB 2959: Veterans Affairs Board, I voted Yes, the measure passed 114-1.
SB 2960: Judicial Performance Commission, I voted Yes, the measure passed 115-1.
SB 2961: Ethics Commission, I voted Yes, the measure passed 117-1.
SB 2962: Department of Employment Security, I voted Yes, the measure passed 116-1.
SB 2964: Board of Tax Appeals, I voted Yes, the measure passed 116-1.
SB 2965: Worker’s Compensation Commission, I voted Yes, the measure passed 116-1.
SB 2966: Department of Mental Health, I voted Yes, the measure passed 113-2.
SB 2967: Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority, I voted No, the measure passed 115-3.
SB 2968: State Aid Roads, I voted Yes, the measure passed 116-1.
SB 2976: Gaming Commission, I voted No, the measure passed 112-5. A motion was made to recommit the bill to conference with instructions for the Governor to call a special session to create a lottery. I voted No, the motion failed 56-58.
SB 2982: Department of Agriculture, I voted Yes, the measure passed 116-1.
SB 2983: Egg Marketing Board, I voted No, the measure passed 113-5.
SB 2984: Board of Animal Health, I voted No, the measure passed 114-2.
SB 2985: Fair and Coliseum Commission, I voted No, the measure passed 113-2.
SB 2986: Fair Livestock shows, I voted No, the measure passed 114-2.
SB 2987: Dept. of Banking and Consumer Finance, I voted Yes, the measure passed 116-1.
SB 2989: Governor’s Office, I voted Yes, the measure passed 114-0.
SB 2990: Department of Audit, I voted Yes, the measure passed 115-1.
SB 2992: Personnel Board, I voted Yes, the measure passed 116-1.
SB 2993: Secretary of State, I voted Yes, the measure passed 115-1.
SB 2995: Debt service payments, I voted Yes, the measure passed 117-1.
HB 1217: This bill lowers the population threshold for special districts, which will allow more cities to set up tax exemptions for businesses. This will decrease the size of government and expand local control of taxation. I voted Yes, the measure passed 117-0.
HB 1557: This bill expands a tax credit program to incentivize business investment. The state should seek to reduce the aggregate tax burden for all individuals across the board to spur business development. I voted for Yes, the measure passed 115-0.
HB 1566: This bill reduces the size of government. It creates a tax credit to reduce the tax burden on citizens who contribute to charitable organizations that help children get adopted. The state should always seek to decrease the aggregate tax burden for all individuals. I voted Yes, the measure passed 118-0.
HB 1649: This bill grows the size of government and undermines the conservative principle of limited government. It borrows more money at taxpayer’s expense, adding to the state’s debt. The state should prioritize existing tax dollars for infrastructure projects and reduce the debt. I voted No, the measure passed 106-7.
SB 2312: This bill expands sales tax exemptions. It exempts nonprofit events held on public property that don’t benefit specific individuals. I voted Yes, the measure passed 117-0.
HB 1671: This bill allows the Warren County board of supervisors to send taxpayer dollars directly to private entities. The state should seek to protect the property of taxpayers at all levels of government. I voted No, the measure passed 101-9.
HB 1687: This bill restores the right to vote for an individual who has been convicted of a crime and has since paid their debt to society. I voted Yes, the measure passed 107-2.
HB 1688: This bill restores the right to vote for an individual who has been convicted of a crime and has since paid their debt to society. I voted Yes, the measure passed 106-3.
HB 1690: This bill restores the right to vote for an individual who has been convicted of a crime and has since paid their debt to society. I voted Yes, the measure passed 106-4.
HB 1700: This bill restores the right to vote for an individual who has been convicted of a crime and has since paid their debt to society. I voted Yes, the measure passed 102-5.
HB 1691: This bill restores the right to vote for an individual who has been convicted of a crime and has since paid their debt to society. I voted Yes, the measure passed 107-3.
SB 3068: This bill extends a local tax on citizens in Lowndes County. The state should seek to protect taxpayer dollars at all levels of government. I voted No, the measure passed 85-18.
SB 3013: This bill extends a local tax on citizens in Carroll County. The state should seek to protect taxpayer dollars at all levels of government. I voted No, the measure passed 91-12.
If you have any questions or concerns contact me at Dana@DanaCriswell.net or on my cell phone (901)275-4191
Thank you for allowing me to serve you in the Mississippi Legislature.
Dana