Blog

The Mississippi House of Representatives adjourned for the week today in an effort to save taxpayers over $30,000 by not meeting tomorrow. By meeting for fewer days, the House and Senate can save the state money and also offset any costs incurred by special sessions that may need to be called later in the year.

This week, the House worked to vote on all bills passed by the state Senate. Bills had to be adopted by Wednesday’s deadline to stay alive for consideration.

A handful of bills died after not meeting this deadline. You can scroll through a list of the bills that are still active here.

Here are a few highlights:

• HB 1510: This bill protects the right to life by preventing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The Senate amended and passed the bill this week, and the House voted today to concur. The bill now goes to Governor Bryant, who has indicated he supports the measure. I was happy to support this bill, which will make Mississippi the safest place in the country for unborn children.
• HB 1083: This bill originated as a mechanism for individuals to challenge public bodies for denying their Second Amendment rights to carry firearms. The Senate made a number of changes to the bill, including allowing teachers to become certified to carry firearms in schools. It was also amended to restrict the rights of current concealed carry permit holders. The bill now heads back to the House for further consideration and debate.

You can view every vote I made this week along with a short explanation on my weekly vote post here.

I joined Americans for Prosperity Foundation this week for an event they held discussing criminal justice reform that puts people back to work, protects our communities, and saves tax dollars. We heard from John Koufus, who has been a national leader working with the White House on these efforts. He congratulated Mississippi for our work in this area and encouraged us to continue in efforts to protect taxpayers.

I’ve been happy to work on several measures in the Judiciary and Corrections committees which help promote employment and save tax dollars while protecting public safety. You can read more about this legislation here.

You probably saw this week that U.S. Senator Thad Cochran has announced his resignation from the Senate, effective April 1. Governor Bryant will have 10 days from then to appoint an interim senator to take his place until a special election can be held. Here’s a helpful explanation of potential outcomes and what this could mean for our representation in Congress.

The budget process continues in the legislature next week as committees determine how to spend your tax dollars. The committees will work over the last few weeks of the session to determine how much tax revenue the state will collect over the next year and how it will be distributed to state agencies. I’ll keep you updated as we that process proceeds.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments about upcoming legislation, please let me know! You can always reach me by email at Joel@JoelBomgar.com or on my cell phone at (601) 207-0813.

It’s an honor to serve and represent you!