Jackson Free Press

HOUSEKEEPING - A WEEKLY SUMMARY

REPORT FOR THE WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 2, 2007

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

Bills that were introduced by members of the Legislature either gained approval to continue through the process or were allowed to expire as we completed the fifth week of the 2007 session.

Jan. 30 was the deadline for committees of the House and Senate to approve or reject the bills that originated in the respective chambers. Those that passed muster in committee will now face a Feb. 8 deadline for action by the full House or Senate.

After completing the committees' work on Tuesday of this week, we began considering many of these measures on the floor of the full House of Representatives. Some were among the most high profile measures that were introduced this year.

Following is a summary of some of the bills that gained approval of the full House this week.

> HB 1500 to provide stability to the state's so-called "wind pool" insurance program that so many businesses and homeowners are relying on to provide coverage on the Coast. The program's assets were wiped out by losses incurred due to Hurricane Katrina, and insurance availability is considered by most observers to be the most crucial issue facing the Coast as it rebuilds following Katrina.

> HB 731 providing a one-time $2 million appropriation to the City of Jackson to help provide funds for street repair and police protection. An amendment failed to make it an annual payment.

> HB 1012 increasing to $5,000 the amount of a state purchase that can be made without advertising for competitive bids.

> HB 382 extending the life of the State Parole Board. However, we were told that the number of inmates eligible for parole is smaller due to the 85-percent “truth in sentencing” law of several years ago. Inmates are staying in longer, possible making the Parole Board extinct in the future.

> HB 364 creating a registry that would be made public for complaints against contractors made to the State Board of Contractors.

> HB 1575 to grant car tag relief to active duty military personnel at discretion of local offices.

> HB 790 to create a Civil Rights Museum to honor the state’s heritage in that arena. It could be placed in Jackson or another location, possibly even in the Delta. A panel created last year studied the issue and said such a facility in Mississippi is feasible. Gov. Barbour also has a commission studying the idea and is cooperating with the legislative group and has raised some private funds.

> HB 134 providing for criminal penalties if an unauthorized person obtains a motor vehicle accident report. This is an “anti identity theft bill.”

> HB 1439 allows persons residing in long-term care facilities to choose where to buy drugs.

> HB 997 to set runoffs for special elections three weeks after initial balloting instead of two.

> HB 600 requires new owners of check cashing businesses to get a license from the state. It also was urged that a complete review of the industry to be undertaken.

> HB 229 prohibiting lending companies from charging a penalty when a mortgage is paid off early with insurance funds from a disaster such as a hurricane.

> HB 819 creating a trust fund from the state’s share of oil reserves far deep into the Gulf of Mexico, to be used only on the Gulf Coast. This is a result of the federal “Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006.”

> HB 240 to prohibit expiration dates and service and dormancy fees on gift cards.

> HB 1058 to initiate the screening of children in grades 1-3 for dyslexia, and to monitor it.

> HB 1084 to require school districts to include graduation and dropout rates for accountability.

We also passed several bills designed to ensure that the state’s small counties and cities get their share of funds allocated by the state for business enhancement.

Here are some bills that have passed committee and await action by the full House:

> HB 806 to increase from 1,000 to 1,500 the number of juvenile offenders—up to 22 years of age—who can be housed at the correctional facility in Walnut Grove in Leake County. There is such a high incidence of crime in our state, we are again running short on available prison beds.

> HB 985 to create regional prisons in Washington and Hinds counties.

> HB 378 to increase to $15,000 the amount a county or city can give as a reward for criminal informants—persons who help catch a criminal, in other words.

> HB 251 allowing students to enroll in a school in a district where their parent or legal guardian is purchasing another house—as long as the closing is within four months of the start of the school year.

> HB 1142 to boost the sales tax incentive for certain tourism projects locating in Mississippi.

> HB 1190 to revise incentives in the hope of luring more motion picture makers to the state. We had done well in this regard for several years but lately Louisiana has been getting more movie contracts.

> HB 775 requiring that bids for public contracts over $100,000 must contain the names of the subcontractors who will be working on the project. It also requires state approval for contract changes.

> HB 1465 to create a program designed to recruit students for medical school who will agree after graduation to practice in rural or underserved areas of the state.

> HB 1132 to establish a school nurse program in every school in the state that would be funded by an annual payment of $7.5 million from the tobacco settlement fund. The nurses would provide an array of services in the schools, including health education.

The full House defeated HB 1379 which would have required employers to verify that new hires were legal immigrants to this nation. The bill had passed the House Labor Committee a day earlier, but died on the floor after several new amendments were added.