Jackson Free Press

Following is the JFP's primer to need-to-know information about the Legislature and state government. We will be adding information as we go. Send suggested information to: [e-mail missing]

Colonel J.K. 'Hoopy' Stringer
Director of the Mississippi Department of Finance Administration (DFA)

Charles Chisolm
Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)

Colonel Don Taylor
Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services (DHS)

George Phillips
Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (MBN)

Leland Speed
Director of Mississippi Development Authority (MDA)

Robert Latham
Director of Emergency Management Agency (EMA)

Rusty Fortenberry
Commissioner of Public Safety

Chris Epps
Commissioner of the Department of Corrections

Marvin Curtis
Chief of the Mississippi Highway Patrol

Dr. Wallace Conerly, Interim
Medicaid Director

NEW HOUSE COMMITTEES
(So much for shrinking bureaucracy)

Forestry
Gaming
Marine Resources
Medicaid
Ports, Harbors and Airports
Tourism

HOUSE COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN

Percy Watson
Ways and Means

Charles Young
Universities and Colleges

Johnny Stringer
Appropriations

Leonard Morris
Medicaid

Bobby Moak
Gaming

Bennett Malone
Penitentiary

Diane Peranich
Tourism

Ed Blackmon
Judiciary A Tort Reform

Charlie Capps
Constitution Committee

George Flaggs
Juvenile Justice Committee

Bill Miles
Transportation Committee.

Bubba Pierce
Education Committee

SENATE COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN

Finance
Tommy Robertson

Judiciary A
Charlie Ross

Judiciary B
Gray Tollison

Education
Mike Chaney

Public Health and Welfare
Alan Nunnelee

Jack Gordon
Appropriations

LEGISLATIVE DEMOGRAPHICS
House Senate
Democrats 76 29
Republicans 46 22*
White 87 43
Black 35 9
Women 18 4
Men 104 48

* Does not include disputed Senate District 29 seat.

JFP INDEX – BUDGET WOES
Amount of General Fund: $3.5 billion
Projected 2004 deficit: $700 million
Projected higher education deficit: $72 million
Projected Medicaid deficit: $90 million
Projected secondary education deficit: $200 million

HANDY WEB SITES
http://www.mississippi.gov
http://www.vote-smart.org
http://www.ls.state.ms.us
http://www.sos.state.ms.us

Bill Status Information
http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/default.htm

HOW DO I TRACK MY BILL?
1. Go to BillStatus Web site on the Legislature's Web site.
2. For those measures that you do not know specifics for,
you can check measures by committee or author. The
measures are divided by House and Senate.
3. You can also find the Legislative Calendar and
Committee Schedules.
4. For measures that you have been checking closely, you
click Select a Measure,and using the measure number
you will be able to select certain measures.
5. You also can locate by Code Section, 2004 Text Search,
and Most Recently Updated Documents.
6. Also on this Web site you can find Additional Reports.
Under this heading are All measures, All measures (not
dead), Daily Action reports, and Measures by subject.

HOW DO I GET COPIES OF SENATE AND HOUSE BILLS?
1. House Bills 359-3358
2. Senate Bills 359-3229

LOBBYING INFORMATION
http://www.sos.state.ms.us/elections/lobbying

LOBBYING AND ADVOCACY SITES

http://www.mscoalition.com
Mississippi Coalition for Disabilities

http://www.lwv-ms.org
Mississippi League of Women Voters

http://www.mstla.com
Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association

http://www.bipac.org
Business and tort-reform political action committee

http://www.mma-web.org
Mississippi Manufacturers Association

http://www.glaad.org
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation

http://www.msfamily.org
Mississippi Family Council

http://www.nrlc.org/states
Mississippi Right to Sue

http://www.dps.state.ms.us
Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics

LEGISLATIVE & POLITICAL NEWS

http://www.jacksonfreepress.com
Jackson Free Press

mississippipolitical.com
Mississippi Political News Watch

http://www.magnoliareport.com
Magnolia Report

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

Senate Numbers
• Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck: Capitol, 601-359-3200
• Secretary of the Senate: 601-359-3202
• Sergeant at arms: 601-359-3127
• Members during session: 601-359-3770

House Numbers
• House Speaker: Capitol: 601-359-3300
• Clerk of the House: 601-359-3360
• House information officer: 601-359-3323
• Members during session: 601-359-3770

— Legislative guide compiled by Ayana Taylor.