Jackson Free Press

Working on a shorter 90-day schedule compared to last year, Mississippi lawmakers got right to work filing bills in the opening week of the 2013 legislative session. House members filed more than 350 bills and senators filed close to 200 in the first week, including many of the old standbys that have become staples of Mississippi's legislative proceedings.

For example, Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, and chairman of the House Judiciary B Committee, submitted two anti-abortion bills. The first, HB 6, prohibits doctors from performing an abortion when a fetal heartbeat is present--except in medical emergencies--and revokes the medical licenses of physicians who don't try to detect a heartbeat before performing an abortion. Then, HC 14, would amend the state Constitution define a person as all humans "from conception to natural death."

Even though the state is embroiled in a lawsuit over abortion restrictions the Legislature passed last year, Gipson, a Baptist minister, said he filed the bills again because "it's the right thing to do."

Also from the here-we-go-again file is Brookhaven Republican Rep. Becky Currie's bill that puts more regulations on employers to prove they're not hiring people who aren't authorized to work in the U.S. and imposes stiffer penalties on employers who do.

Last year's attempt to implement immigration crackdowns similar to those in Arizona and Alabama failed, and over the summer at a hearing Gipson convened, Republicans tipped their hand, signaling that immigration efforts this year would focus on business regulation, over which the state has more leeway to enforce immigration law.

Charters Set to Fly

A highly anticipated charter-school bill made its way out of the Jan. 15 Senate Education Committee. The bill allows for the establishment charter schools, privately run schools that receive public funding for the children who attend, across the state. However, school boards in school districts rated A or B must approve a charter school's application. Proposed charter schools in C, D and F district can be approved without the say so of local public school boards.

Senators agreed by voice vote to send the measure to the floor with one key modification.

Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, offered an amendment to strip virtual schools in the bill. As proposed, the legislation did allow up to three online charter schools to operate in Mississippi.

Blount told the Jackson Free Press he wanted to amend the bill because he does not believe that virtual charter schools, which allow kids to log on to a computer and complete coursework without the supervision of a teacher is effective.

Legislative Republicans have said they want charter school legislation to pass quickly. The Senate could vote on the charter bill as early as today, Wednesday.

Workers' Rights Redux

A push is under way to beef up workers' protections. Several groups, including the Mississippi Workers' Center for Human Rights, are lobbying lawmakers to extend workers' compensation protections

"We want to increase workers' compensation coverage to 520 weeks (10 years)," said Jaribu Hill, executive director of the Mississippi Workers' Center for Human Rights. Currently, workers can receive up to 8.5 years of workers' comp.

The Mississippi Workers Compensation Commission, reports there were 11,761 workers injured and 84 workers killed on the job in 2011. It'll be an uphill climb to get lawmakers in Mississippi to give workers any more rights. Last year, Republicans succeeded in rolling back rights by ending the so-called "found dead" presumption that held if workers are found dead at work, the law presume the employee while working and mandating drug and alcohol testing for people hurt at work.

Democrats this week also decried proposed chances to the Public Employee Retirement System, PERS. According to the analysis Moak provided reporters, the bill changes the number of PERS board members from 10 to 17 and adds more appointees from the governor and lieutenant governor's offices.

In addition, the so-called 13th check--a cost of living adjustment--would be frozen for three years and tied to the Consumer Price Index.

Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, said he is worried about the effects of making what he considers unnecessary changes to PERS because in his Delta district, government agencies are among the largest employers.

"You can't change the rules in the middle of the game," Simmons said.

Comment at www.jfp.ms. Email R.L. Nave at [email protected].