Jackson Free Press

HOUSEKEEPING - A WEEKLY SUMMARY

REPORT FOR THE WEEK ENDING JANUARY 26, 2007

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

Our committees in the House of Representatives this week continued to study the hundreds of bills that have been introduced by members for consideration this session. The committees were working against a Tuesday, Jan. 30 deadline to approve or reject these proposed measures.

Once the committees finish this important task, we will be debating the bills on the floor of the House. Actually, we've already begun that process, too, as we look toward a Feb. 21 deadline for floor action on the bills originating in the House. The Senate faces the same deadline for their bills.

We spent almost two hours on the floor Monday of this week, with about half of that on HB 732, known as the Mississippi Healthy Students Act. It is designed to educate our K-12 students about obesity and the many diseases such as diabetes that can be traced to poor eating habits and a lack of exercise.

The bill would require periods of physical conditioning for students depending upon which grade they are in. It also would require the measuring of each student's body mass index with that information provided to parents along with an explanation of what it means. School districts would be required to learn how to develop meals that are more nutritional, and restrictions would be placed on the sale of certain non-healthy food and beverage items on school campuses. The frying of foods would be eliminated under the new guidelines and in time districts would not be allowed to purchase deep-fryers.

The proposed guidelines are the result of hearings held this past summer by a subcommittee from the House Education Committee, held in concert with State Department of Education officials. Mississippi has been criticized nationally for its high obesity rate, helping to spur the healthy movement.

ALSO ON THE HOUSE FLOOR THIS WEEK WE APPROVED:

> HB 882 increasing the penalty for the possession of firearms by convicted felons. The bill pushes the penalty from 1 to 10 years of jail. Current law has it at from 1 to 5 years.

> HB 642 allowing the expunction of non-violent crimes by first-time offenders two years after sentencing if the offender has met all the conditions. Some crimes cannot be expunged—including those committed against persons of any age, but particularly against children, and those for selling drugs.

> HB 567 establishing a treatment center for burn victims at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Mississippi no longer has a burn treatment facility after the previous one closed two years ago in Greenville. Last year, a similar House bill died in the Senate. It would require $10 million to construct at UMMC and about $5 million annually thereafter to operate. Mississippi's per-capita rate of severe burns is one of the highest in the nation, and presently victims must go out of state for treatment.

> HB 400 requiring "ultimate" reporting of political campaign contributions. A key feature is that most of the money donated by political action committees to a candidate must be reported to the state.

> HB 727 prohibiting judges from sentencing youthful offenders to life in prison without the possibility of parole if other alternatives are available. It also says police cannot interview a teenager suspected of a crime without parents, a guardian or an attorney present, or that confessions of someone under 17 cannot be used in court unless there is an agreement with parents, guardian or an attorney.

> SB 2494 to make an extra appropriation of $1.7 million to the State Veterans Board for use at the veterans' nursing homes around the state. At least one suffered heavy damages during Katrina.

Some of the bills we passed in committee and that will soon go to the House floor include:

> HB 1488 creating a Cultural Heritage Development Fund to establish markers on the Mississippi Blues Trail, designed to bring more awareness to the area where blues music was born. The bill directs the state to ask Congress to designate the Delta as the "Delta National Heritage Area" to help spur development in the region. It also gives more impetus to the state's promotion of tourism.

> HB 581 regulating public swimming facilities as to certain sanitation standards, their water supply, safety equipment and other issues. The act would enact a permit system. Private pools are exempt.

> HB 202 creating the criminal offense of attempted murder. Currently, that offense falls under the state's aggravated assault law.

> HB 982 strengthening the penalties for committing crimes against disabled persons.

> HB 1084 to require school districts to include graduation and dropout rates when they are submitting information concerning accountability standards. Lowering the state's dropout rate has become a prime focus of attempts to improve the state's public schools.

> HB 1463 providing for the recall of superintendents and school board members in districts that are under conservatorship by the State Department of Education.

> HB 1303 allowing for the return of a weapon after charges have been dropped against an adult.

> HB 167 removing the waiting period, blood tests and age requirement for getting married.

> HB 641 authorizing gaming-related courses at universities and two-year colleges in the state.

> HB 243 creating a pilot program in some counties for hunting deer over grain.

> HB 1076 exempting military personnel on active from overseas duty from game licenses.

During the fourth week of the session, the House also honored a large group of locally elected African-American public officials who were visiting the Capitol to meet with their representatives. Mississippi has more African-American public officials than any other state. Among the honorees this week was Mayor Sheriel Walker-Perkins, the first African American and first female mayor of Greenwood and the wife of State Rep. Willie Perkins of Greenwood.

We also designated a highway rest stop near Wiggins as the "Dizzy Dean Rest Stop" in honor of the late baseball pitcher and famed broadcaster who lived near that town.

A rally during the week promoted raising taxes on cigarettes as a way to improve the health of the state's citizens. Last year a bill to raise tobacco taxes and lower grocery taxes was vetoed by the governor.