Blog

This week was an important one in the House. Committees had to pass all bills by Tuesday, or they would die in committee. The first two days of the week were filled with committee meetings as we worked to consider bills before the deadline. Committees in the House passed over 200 bills, with hundreds more dying in committee. All of the bills that the House will consider next week are now listed on the House Calendar, and you can view each of them here.

The House considered a number of bills this week that protect the rights of Mississippians and reduce the size of government. Here are just a few of the notable bills that we passed:

• HB 519 prohibits dismemberment abortions in Mississippi.
• HB 1116 identifies and reduces fraud in the Medicaid system.
• HB 767 ensures that property owners are not liable for accidents of those who trespass on their property.
• HB 758 prevents agencies and boards from placing restrictive regulations on firearms.
• You can view all of the bills we voted on this week, along with more details, on my website here.

It was great to see students from the Madison County Youth Leadership Committee at the Capitol this week. Over 20 students from schools across Madison County visited the Capitol for Government Day to focus on leadership skills like negotiation and collaboration. Madison County is fortunate to have such a sharp group of young people who will become leaders in our community.

Yesterday, business in the House slowed to a halt when Democratic members requested to have a bill read aloud. The Mississippi Constitution provides that legislators may make this request. Due to the length of the bill, the reading took several hours and prevented the House from conducting business for most of the day on Thursday. At the conclusion of the reading, the House considered a measure to restrict the use of points of personal privilege. I do not agree with the Democratic attempt to obstruct business in the House, but I voted against this change because I believe that points of personal privilege are important to our deliberative process.

Thankfully, Speaker Philip Gunn was able to reach an agreement with the Democratic caucus that will allow business to proceed as usual in the House next week. I appreciate Speaker Gunn’s leadership and his dedication to the rules of the House. We are looking forward to getting back to work on Monday and creating policy that helps our state move forward.

Next Thursday, March 3^rd is the deadline for each chamber to pass general bills. We anticipate spending most of next week considering and debating bills in the House. As always, my goal is to honor my commitment to you and support legislation that helps move our state forward. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about pending legislation, or if I can help you in any way.

It’s an honor and a privilege to represent you.

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