Blog

*Note: This page will be continuously updated as votes are taken and posted. To view the full text of a measure, click on the bill number. To view the vote totals, click on the date immediately beneath the bill title.

1. On Monday 2/22/16, the House voted on a resolution commending the Alcorn State University football team on their 2015 SWAC championship. I voted Yes, the bill passed 121-0.

HC 58

Alcorn State University Football Team; commend and congratulate upon winning the 2015 SWAC championship. 02/22 (H) Adopted 02/22 (H) Immediate Release 02/22 (H) Transmitted To Senate

Holloway

2. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House voted on a package of resolutions commending Mississippians. I voted Yes, the measures passed 118-0.

HC 56	Faith Hill; commend her success and receipt of Mississippi Country Music Trail Marker. 02/18 (H) Title Suff Do Be Adopted		Weathersby
HC 57	Jerry O’Keefe; commend upon receiving United States Congressional Gold Medal for service during World War II. 02/18 (H) Title Suff Do Be Adopted		Patterson

3. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House voted on a resolution commending the life of Mr. Willie L. Richardson, Jr. I voted Yes, the resolution passed 122-0.

HC 59

Mr. Willie L. Richardson, Jr.; commend life and legacy upon his passing. 02/18 (H) Title Suff Do Be Adopted

Clarke

4. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House voted on a package of resolutions commending Mississippians. I voted Yes, the measures passed 118-0.

HC 60	Starkville High School Yellow Jackets Football Team; commend upon winning the 2015 MHSAA class 6A state championship. 02/24 (H) Adopted		Roberson
HC 63	Hunter George “H.G.” Weddington; commend life and legacy upon his passing. 02/24 (H) Adopted		Snowden

5. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill that made a number of technical corrections to the PERS statute to allow the system to operate more efficiently. I voted Yes, the bill passed 118-2.

HB 899

Public Employees’ Retirement System; revise certain provisions regarding the administration of the system. 02/17 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Huddleston (15th)

6. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill that made technical changes to the Defferred Compensation Law standardizing the language in that statute. I voted Yes, the bill passed 117-3.

HB 903 %

Government Employees’ Deferred Compensation Law; revise certain provisions of. 02/17 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Huddleston (15th)

7. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a procedural bill that allows the Appropriations Committee to revise the budget when they go to conference with the Senate. I voted Yes, the bill passed 120-2.

HB 878

Budget process; bring forward sections relating to various aspects of. 02/23 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Frierson

8. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which provides more legislative oversight on the expenditure of special funds which are funded by assessments. I Voted Yes, the bill passed 118-4.

HB 298 %

State assessments; expenditures from special funds for must be appropriated by Legislature. 02/23 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Frierson

9. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill that further allows the Corrections Commissioner to reorganize the Department of Corrections by exempting them from procedures required by the State Personnel Board. I voted Yes, the bill passed 86-34.

HB1498

State Personnel Board procedures; extend period for one year that Department of Corrections is exempt from. 02/23 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Frierson

10. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which limits the amount of time that tax liens can be placed against individuals. I voted Yes, and the measure passed 122-0.

HB1384

Department of Revenue, tax liens; bring forward sections of law relating to. 02/17 (H) Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

Smith

11. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which clarified that sales to schools are exempt from sales tax. I voted Yes, the bill passed 122-0.

HB 364

Sales tax; clarify that certain sales to schools under federal programs are exempt. 02/24 (H) Passed

Bell (21st)

12. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which would amend the definition of a qualified resort area for purposes of enforcing the state’s alcohol laws. This bill would expand the resort area in Rankin County, allowing for more development there. I voted Yes, the bill passed 86-32.

HB 845

Alcoholic beverages; revise definition of “qualified resort area” under the Local Option Alcoholic Beverage Control Law. 02/24 (H) Committee Substitute Adopted 02/24 (H) Passed

Powell

13.On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered this bill which would allow hospitals to place liens on income tax refunds for people who owe medical debt. Since hospitals should collect debts owed by the same procedures as other businesses, I voted No. The bill passed 78-41.

HB1422

Income tax; public and private hospitals may collect certain debts by a set off against the debtor’s refund. 02/23 (H) Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

Smith

14. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill that would prevent state boards and commissions from placing additional regulations on firearms. I voted Yes, the bill passed 89-32.

HB 758

Firearms; restrict boards, commissions and agencies from regulating. 02/11 (H) Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

Hood

15. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which would clarify that property owners are not responsible for accidents of those who trespass on their property. This has been the common law in courts, but this bill ensures that courts cannot deviate from this standard. I voted Yes, the bill passed 108-11.

HB 767

Trespassers; codify duty of care to. 02/11 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Hood

16. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which authorizes the Department of Vital Records to issue five copies of a death certificate to deceased veterans with no charge. This is a small way to thank those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect us. I voted Yes, the bill passed 122-0.

HB 81 %

Death certificates; Vital Records shall issue five copies without charge for deceased veterans. 02/16 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Hopkins

17. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which added assault on a military member to offenses that qualify as aggravated assault. This only applies if the assault happens while the member is performing their official duties. I voted Yes, the bill passed 122-0.

HB 742

Simple and aggravated assault; provide that assault on member of military is aggravating circumstances for. 02/16 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Rogers (61st)

18. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which mirrors the federal law that provides National Guard members up to two weeks of a leave of absence. The bill was amended to ensure that employers are not required to pay employees while on leave. I voted Yes, the bill passed 122-0.

HB1117

Military officers and employees; grant leave of absence from civil occupations in public or private business. 02/16 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Henley

19. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which requires the Boll Weevil Management Corporation to submit an annual audit. As long as this entity exists, it should provide us with an audit of its accounts. I voted Yes, the bill passed 122-0.

HB 475 %

MS Boll Weevil Management Corporation; extend repealer on provision requiring annual audits to be provided by November 15. 02/16 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

White

20. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which allows the Department of Agriculture to charge fees for a marketing program. Our state government should not be in the business of running promotional programs for particular products and charging our producers to participate. I voted no, the bill passed 118-4.

HB1131 %

MS Agricultural Promotions; revise Dept. of Ag & Commerce to authority to administer for marketing purposes. 02/16 (H) Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

Pigott

21. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which expands the provisions allowing for the termination of parental rights. The intent of the legislation is to streamline the process by which bad parents lose their parental rights. I have concerns that this legislation as currently written could allow for even good parents to lose their children, due to the broadness of the law. I voted No, the bill passed 116-4.

HB1240

Termination of Parental Rights. 02/16 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Lamar

22. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill that would re-authorize a law which mandates that auctioneers must obtain a license from the state before conducting business. Occupational licensing laws create barriers to entrepreneurship and limit job growth. I voted no, the bill passed 110-9.

HB 504 %

MS Auctioneers License Act; extend repealer on. 02/16 (H) Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

White

23. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which includes dentists in a provision which provides medical practitioners legal immunity when performing services free of charge. I voted yes, the bill passed 115-3.

HB 666

Dentists; provide immunity for if necessary medical services are provided without expectation of payment. 02/16 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Formby

24. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which helps modernize procedures for the sale of lands. I voted Yes, the bill passed 121-0.

HB 713

Public lands; revise certain provisions on Secretary of State’s duties regarding conveyances of. 02/16 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Monsour

25. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which authorizes a broker to sell land which cannot be equally divided among owners. I voted Yes, the bill passed 121-0.

HB 716

Jointly held property; authorize to be sold by broker in a commercially reasonable manner. 02/16 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Reynolds

26. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which increases the maximum fine for court-martial. These are reasonable changes. I voted Yes, the bill passed 109-7.

HB 732

Military justice; revise maximum fines imposed by courts-martial and revise certain other provisions. 02/16 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Rogers (61st

27. On Wednesday 2/24/16, the House considered a bill which revised the Supreme Court districts to move Simpson County to the Central District. This fixes an imbalance in the districts which causes some citizens to be under-represented. Opponents argued that this would make it difficult to elect an African-American judge, but the change would only alter the African-American Voting Population by less than half a percent. I voted Yes, the bill passed 71-50.

HB 868

Supreme Court Districts; revise boundaries of. 02/16 (H) Title Suff Do Pass

Baker

28. On Thursday 2/25/16, the House considered a bill to impose a three year moratorium on salary increases for superintendents in C-F rated school districts. I voted Yes, the bill passed 84-38.

HB 14

School superintendents; impose three-year moratorium on salary increases for all and prescribe method for determining raises. 02/25 (H) Committee Substitute Adopted 02/25 (H) Amended 02/25 (H) Passed As Amended

Frierson

29. On Thursday 2/25/16, the House considered a bill which prohibits dismemberment abortions in Mississippi. I voted Yes, the bill passed 83-33.

HB 519

MS Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act; create. 02/25 (H) Previous Question 02/25 (H) Passed 02/25 (H) Motion to Reconsider Entered (Wooten, Mims, Johnson (87th))

Mims

30. On Thursday 2/25/16, the House considered a bill which allows insurance companies to file affidavits certifying that mortgages have been paid off. I voted Yes, the measure passed 82-20.

HB1261

Title insurance company; authorize to record affidavit to release mortgage that is paid off. 02/25 (H) Passed

Baker

31. On Friday 2/26/16, the House considered a bill which would place controls measures in the Medicaid system to identify and eliminate fraud. I voted Yes, the bill passed 76-46.

HB1116

Medicaid & Human Services Fraud Control Act; create. 02/26 (H) Committee Substitute Adopted 02/26 (H) Previous Question 02/26 (H) Passed

White