In the 10th week of the legislative session, the Senate passed Senate Bill 2332, that would revise the Mississippi Adequate Education Program funding formula to the tune of an additional estimated $206 million. The updated formula mirrors the realities of running a school district.
Among the revisions, SB 2332 would make are:
• Revising the inflationary factory connected to the formula to reflect an average rate over 20 years.
• Providing that 90% of state funds must be used on expenses other than administrator and principal salaries.
• Holding harmless for one year 10 districts which will lose money under the revised formula because of a loss of students ($2.1 million).
• Requiring charter schools to return a pro rata share of education funds to the public school district the student came from if the student returns to that school district during the year.
SB 2685 would allow retired teachers to continue receiving PERS retirement benefits while again returning to the classroom as full-time educators earning a check in certain critical shortage areas.
SB 2627 seeks creation of a state law forbidding ownership, manufacture or use of weapon conversion devices that make semi-auto weapons fire in fully automatic mode. Currently, possession of a “switch,” or “Glock switch,” is a federal violation, but if made law, SB 2627 would allow Mississippi prosecutors to give a 10-year maximum state prison sentence and a $10,000 fine for a first conviction. It was amended to be known as the Jeremy Todd Malone Law, in honor of a George County deputy who was shot and killed Jan. 4, 2024, during a traffic stop.
SB 2841 would create the “State Treasury Efficiency and Transparency Act,” encouraging certain state agencies to place unspent money “when it is reasonably feasible to do so,” into a master account which would be invested in interest bearing accounts.
SB 2848 would allow the transfer of $144 million in remaining federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to be placed in the state treasury until it is reallocated, since it is not expected to be spent by the deadline date.
SB 470 moves the back-to-school sales tax holiday to the second Friday in July, making it occur earlier than it would in surrounding states to draw in more shoppers to Mississippi. It exempts sales tax on school related items like clothing, shoes, and school supplies retailing for less than $100.
SB 2444 would expand the Central Mississippi Pilot Prison Industries program to all state, regional and private correctional facilities. The program allows certain inmates to hold job while incarcerated. They can earn money to pay fines, save towards their release dates and learn a skill or trade. Of the 51 inmates who participated in the pilot program, only two committed violations that placed them back in prison.
SB 2339 would allow high school graduation credits for students who chose to learn sign language as their foreign language requirement.
SB2 169 would prohibit school districts from reducing the local salary supplement for assistant teachers who received the state minimum raise.
SB 2288 would create a criminal charge for digitally altering a person's likeness in a graphic manner. The bill makes the use of “AI” or artificial intelligence to perform such tasks a crime.
SB 2196 amends Mississippi’s Terroristic Threats Law to include a five-year prison sentence for anyone convicted of making a threat against an airport.
SB 2125 seeks creation of a health savings accounts for state employees who are enrolled in a cafeteria plan that allows them to use pre-tax deductions for certain known health benefits. Currently, whatever money in the plan is not used is lost at year’s end. The intent of the bill is to allow leftover money to be rolled over into an investment plan.
SB 2340 extends the repeal date until 2027 for Harper Grace’s Law — authority for University of Mississippi Medical Center to research and dispense cannabidiol (CBD oil) for medical purposes, specifically for treatment of severe epileptic seizures.
SB 2250 bans operation of squatted vehicles on public roads. Squatting a vehicle requires lifting the front end and the squatting the rear end, which lessens the field of vision for a driver.
SB 2016 amends existing law to increase penalties for illegal dumping, including up to a $75,000 fine and a five-year prison sentence for those convicted of dumping objects more than 500 pounds or 100 cubic feet in volume, or hazardous waste.
SB 2708 authorizes the Department of Public Safety to sell or lease the 9.6 acres of property the current headquarters occupies in Jackson once they move operations to Rankin County.
SB 2495 allows county boards of supervisors to assign their board attorney as hearing officer in disputes regarding delinquent solid waste fees.
SB 2519 creates the Mississippi Foreign Land Ownership Act, which would limit the ability of non-resident aliens from countries considered to be foreign adversaries, from owning Mississippi agricultural and forestry land.
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Finally, I am delighted to provide the employees of the MDOC Parchman facility and the citizens of District 13 with an update on SB 2353.
This bill was designed to phase down Parchman over a four-year period by transferring its inmates, employees and programs to other state and regional facilities, along with the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility.
SB 2353 only planned to keep the hospital, the long- term care facility, death row unit and the Northwest Mississippi Facility for the Treatment and Care of Inmates with Mental Illness located on the grounds at Parchman. It also called for converting mental health facilities over to be able to service other prisons, as well as private sector development.
Parchman is one of our oldest and largest employers in Sunflower County. Losing these facilities would have been devastating for the Delta. I am truly grateful for us to have been able to avoid such a disaster.
I would like to thank my colleagues for their leadership and support. To my fellow senators, Derrick Simmons of Greenville, Joseph Thomas of Yazoo City, Reginald Jackson of Marks and Chairman of Appropriations Briggs Hopson of Vicksburg, your determination to keep Parchman from closing is greatly appreciated.
