*Note: This page will be continuously updated as votes are taken and posted. By clicking on the bill number, you can view the full text of the bill, current status, and vote totals. Vote totals are preliminary and may differ from the final totals. To view the vote by party, copy and paste the names from the vote totals pdf here.
Monday March 13, 2017
- HB 919: This bill allows Delta State to lease a golf course to a private entity. The state should seek to decrease its holdings and move property to productive private uses. The House voted to concur with the Senate’s amendments, which altered the time period of the lease to 10 years. I voted Yes, the measure passed 118-0.
- HB 865: This bill extends a regulatory requirement on how individuals must mark towers on private property. This bill is outside the scope of the proper role of government. The House voted to concur with the Senate’s amendments, which removed the repeal date. I voted No, the measure passed 113-0.
- The House considered a block of Senate Appropriations bills for special funds agencies in a block vote. Each of these bills has a reverse repealer, and cannot become law in their current form. I voted Yes to move the measures forward for negotiation. I voted Yes, the measures passed 104-5. Here’s a listing of each of the bills:
- SB 2987: Board of Architecture
- SB 2997: Department of Banking and Consumer Finance
- SB 2979: Board of Chiropractic Examiners
- SB 2980: Board of Dental Examiners
- SB 2972: Department of Employment Security
- SB 2988: Board of Registered Professional Geologists
- SB 2982: Board of Massage Therapy
- SB 2967: Military Department
- SB 2989: Motor Vehicle Commission
- SB 2983: Board of Pharmacy
- SB 2984: Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors
- SB 2990: Board of Public Accountancy
- SB 2991: Board of Contractors
- SB 2969: Veterans Affairs Board
- SB 2985: Board of Veterinary Examiners
- SB 2981: The House considered this Appropriations bill for the Funeral Service Board. It has a reverse repealer, and cannot become law in their current form. I voted Yes to move the measure forward for negotiation, the measure passed 101-3.
- SB 2975: The House considered this Appropriations bill for the Funeral Service Board. It has a reverse repealer, and cannot become law in their current form. I voted Yes to move the measure forward for negotiation, the measure passed 106-5.
- The House considered a block of Senate Appropriations bills for special funds agencies in a block vote. Each of these bills has a reverse repealer, and cannot become law in their current form. I voted Yes to move the measures forward for negotiation. I voted Yes, the measures passed 104-7. Here’s a listing of each of the bills:
- SB 2999: Governor’s Office
- SB 3003: Secretary of State
- SB 2973: Department of Revenue
- SB 2974: Tax Appeals Board
- SB 2970: Judicial Performance Commission
- SB 3004: Treasurer’s Office
- SB 3005: Debt Service Obligations
- SB 2968: Department of Public Safety
- SB 2965: Department of Corrections
- SB 2971: Ethics Commission
- SB 2963: Community and Junior College Board
- SB 2964: Support for community and junior colleges
- SB 2956: IHL Financial Aid
- SB 2962: MSU College of Veterinary Medicine
- SB 2961: MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center
- SB 2960: MSU Extension Service
- SB 2959: MSU Agricultural Experiment Station
- SB 2958: Alcorn State Agricultural Programs
- SB 2957: UMMC
- SB 2978: Office of State Aid Road Construction
- SB 3006: Mississippi Development Authority
- SB 3001: Department of Information Technology Services
- SB 2966: MS Emergency Management Agency
- SB 3002: Personnel Board
- SB 2998: Department of Finance and Administration
- SB 2976: Department of Mental Health
- SB 2992: Department of Agriculture and Commerce
- SB 2993: Egg Marketing Board
- SB 2994: Board of Animal Health
- SB 2995: Fair and Coliseum Commission
- SB 2996: Fair Livstock Shows
- SB 2977: Tenn-Tom Waterway Development Authority
- SB 3000: The House considered this Appropriations bill for the Department of Audit. It has a reverse repealer, and cannot become law in their current form. I voted Yes to move the measure forward for negotiation, the measure passed 106-6.
- SB 2968: The House considered this Appropriations bill for the Department of Public Safety. It has a reverse repealer, and cannot become law in their current form. The bill was amended to allow the Bureau of Narcotics to spend forfeiture funds to report civil asset forfeitures to bring transparency to that process. I voted Yes on the amendment, and it passed on a voice vote. I voted Yes on the bill, the measure passed 105-3.
- SB 2954: The House considered this Appropriations bill for IHL General Support. It has a reverse repealer, and cannot become law in their current form. I voted Yes, the measure passed 106-5.
- SB 2955: The House considered this Appropriations bill for IHL Subsidiary Programs. An amendment was offered to punish universities for choosing not to fly a flag. I voted Yes to table the amendment, the motion passed 59-55. I voted Yes on the bill, it passed 105-6.
- SB 3015: This appropriation bill makes an additional appropriation to state departments to cover ongoing expenses like lawsuits, Medicaid expenses, and various other expenses. The appropriation is for over $50 million. I voted No, the measure passed 104-10.
- SB 2944: This bill reduces the tax burden on individuals by clarifying that repairs are not taxed under the installation tax. I voted Yes, the measure passed 105-9.
Tuesday March 14, 2017
- SB 2986: The House considered this Appropriations bill for the Gaming Commission. It has a reverse repealer, and cannot become law in their current form. An amendment was offered to make this appropriation contingent on a state lottery. I voted Yes on the motion to table this amendment, it passed on a voice vote. I voted Yes on the bill, the measure passed 102-11.
- SB 2281: This bill authorizes the state to borrow tens of millions of dollars at taxpayers’ expense to fund various special projects across the state. The state should reduce its borrowing and the burden placed on taxpayers of the state. An amendment was offered to punish universities for choosing not to fly a flag. A motion was made to table the amendment, I voted Yes and the motion passed on a voice vote. I voted No on the bill, it passed 102-10.
- HB 1438: This bill extends a local tax. The proper role of the legislature is protect the property of citizens at all levels of government. I voted No, the measure passed 102-8.
- HB 1718: This bill extends a local tax in the town of Como. The proper role of government is to protect taxpayers at all levels. I voted No, the measure passed 99-10.
- HB 1724: This bill expands local freedom by allowing Itawamba County to construct a jail anywhere in the county. I voted Yes, the measure passed 109-1.
- SB 2919: This bill extends the life of a local governmental entity. The legislature should protect taxpayers from larger government at every level. I voted No, the measure passed 107-5.
- SB 2920: This bill allows a county government to transfer taxpayer funds to a private entity. The proper role of the legislature is protect the property of citizens at all levels of government. I voted No, the measure passed 113-1.
- SB 2921: This bill allows a county government to transfer taxpayer funds to an education program. The proper role of the legislature is protect the property of citizens at all levels of government. I voted No, the measure passed 112-1.
- SB 2924: This bill allows a county government to transfer taxpayer funds to a private entity. The proper role of the legislature is protect the property of citizens at all levels of government. I voted No, the measure passed 109-1.
- SB 2926: This bill allows a county government to transfer taxpayer funds to a private entity. The proper role of the legislature is protect the property of citizens at all levels of government. I voted No, the measure passed 104-5.
- SB 2941: This bill extends a local tax on citizens of Byhalia. The legislature should seek to decrease taxation at every level of government. I voted No, the measure passed 100-11.
- HB 1473: This bill extends a local tax. The proper role of the legislature is protect the property of citizens at all levels of government. I voted No, the measure passed 97-12.
- HB 1747: This bill allows local governments to contribute taxpayer money to private organizations. I voted No, the measure passed 103-9.
- HB 1751: This bill allows Grenada County to contract with other jails to help house inmates. I voted Yes, the measure passed 111-0.
- HB 1752: This bill allows the board to contribute taxpayer money to a private entity. Taxpayer dollars should not be transferred directly to private entities. I voted No, the measure passed 108-3.
Wednesday March 15, 2017
- HB 464: This bill extends the regulatory authority of the board of cosmetology. The state should not regulate how cosmetologists operate their businesses. Extending this regulation protects established businesses, makes it more difficult to entrepreneurs to operate, drives up the cost of service, and wastes taxpayer dollars on an illegitimate function of government. The House voted to concur with the Senate’s changes to this bill, which modified some of the requirements and made some technical corrections. I voted No, the measure passed 107-13.
- HB 1116: This bill requires public bodies to post notice of special meetings on their website at least two hours prior to the meeting. This bill strengthens the Open Meetings law and increases transparency in government. The House voted to concur with changes made by the Senate. I voted Yes, the measure passed 117-0.
- HCRs 79, 83, 85, 87, 88, 90, 91: The House voted on these ceremonial resolutions in a block. I voted Yes, they passed 117-0.
- SCRs 621, 628, 629, 630, 632, 633, 634, 635: The House voted on these ceremonial resolutions in a block. I voted Yes, they passed 120-0.
- HB 1763: This bill allows the city to directly transfer taxpayer funds to a private entity. The role of the legislature is to protect taxpayers at all levels. I voted No, the measure passed 112-4.
- HB 1764: This bill extends a local tax on citizens of Hattiesburg. The legislature should seek to decrease taxation at every level of government. I voted No, the measure passed 100-12.
- HB 1774: This bill expands freedom by allowing individuals to use golf carts on city streets. I voted Yes, the measure passed 113-4.
- HB 1777: This bill allows the city to directly transfer taxpayer funds to a private entity. The legislature should protect taxpayers at all levels of government. I voted No, the measure passed 105-9.
- SB 3018: This bill extends a local tax on citizens of Washington County. The legislature should seek to decrease taxation at every level of government. I voted No, the measure passed 101-12.
Thursday March 16, 2017
- HB 645: I supported the initial version of this bill which increased penalties for murder of emergency responders to capital murder, which means they can be subject to the death penalty or life in prison without parole for the murder. The bill was then changed to vastly expand its scope to make any felony or misdemeanor involving these individuals a “hate crime” eligible for double sentencing. Justice should always be served equally, and violence should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of the victim’s skin color or profession. For these reasons, I voted No, the measure passed 94-18.
- HB 926: This bill has the potential to dramatically grow the size of government by allowing for universities to create new health care collaboratives, which are vested with the power to borrow money and issue bonds as public entities. I voted No, the measure passed 93-17.
- HB 6: This bill allows to state to transfer a portion of land in Marion County to the local airport authority. The House voted to concur with the Senate’s amendments to this bill. I voted Yes, the measure passed 116-0.
- HB 1109: This bill effectively rewrites the procedures for procurement by establishing the standard method for advertising and accepting bids for state services. This bill clarifies and streamlines procedures that protect taxpayer dollars. The House voted to concur with the Senate’s changes to this bill. I voted Yes, the measure passed 113-2.
- HB 1106: This bill increases efficiency in bidding by requiring governmental entities to accept bids electronically. The House voted to concur with the Senate’s changes to the bill. I voted No, the motion to concur failed 12-102. The House then moved to invite conference on the bill. I voted Yes, and the motion to invite conference passed on a voice vote.
- HB 652: This bill deals with the standard of proof required to issue a custody order for a child in Youth Court. It prohibits a finding of probable cause based solely on a positive parental drug test. It must be based on an actual finding of harm to child or an inability to care for the child. It protects the interest of children and implements safeguards to ensure that families are only separated as a last resort when there is an actual danger to the child. The House voted to concur with the Senate’s amendments to this bill. I voted Yes, the measure passed 98-15.
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