This was the eighth week of the 2024 Legislative Session. The deadline for introducing general bills and constitutional amendments was on Monday night.
Next week, committees will meet even more frequently as the Legislature approaches the next deadline. After Tuesday, March 5, no additional bills will be added to the House calendar, and members will meet in session for longer periods to discuss the bills that have made it out of committee. If a bill is not passed out of committee by this deadline, it is considered dead. Although most work is still happening in committees, the House was busy taking up legislation this week.
House Bill 922 would make the office of county election commissioner nonpartisan. The bill passed the House by a vote of 112-6 before being held on a motion to reconsider. House Bill 1035 would amend the “Nonpartisan Judicial Election Act” to include justice court judges. The bill passed 106-11 before being held on a motion to reconsider.
House Bill 438 would increase the penalty for shoplifting. Currently, the fine for the first shoplifting conviction is $1,000, the fine for the second is $2,500 and the fine for the third is $3,000. Under HB 438, these would increase to $1,500, $3,000 and $4,000, respectively. The bill passed by a vote of 89-28, and it has been sent to the Senate for consideration.
House Bill 313 would create the Board of Cosmetology and Barbering to regulate their respective professions. There are two separate boards which oversee cosmetologists and barbers, and HB 313 would combine them into one board. The bill passed 115-0 and has been sent to the Senate.
House Bill 1105 would remove the prohibition on using the words “partnership” and “limited partnership” when providing a name for a limited liability company. HB 1105 passed unanimously 120-0 and will now go to the Senate. On Tuesday, the House Medicaid Committee conducted a hearing on the potential impact of Medicaid expansion for Mississippi workers. The House State Affairs Committee also conducted a hearing this week on Mississippi’s Certificate of Need.
Both issues greatly impact the state’s health care system. Last week, the House passed House Concurrent Resolution 29, calling for a joint session of the Legislature to hear the State of the State address from Governor Tate Reeves.
The address is scheduled for Monday, February 26 at 5 p.m. and will be held on the south steps of the Capitol, weather permitting. If you have any questions or need any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me any time. You can contact me at the Capitol at P. O. Box 1018, Jackson, Mississippi 39215 or call (601) 359-3339.
