Weekly Legislative Update
January 12, 2007
This week the House of Representatives got things off to a running start, while the Senate seems to be more stagnant right now. The House has already taken up very substantive legislation. They passed bills to: fully fund education, create the Mississippi Tobacco Control Commission, and increase the minimum wage in Mississippi. The Senate, on the other hand, has taken a “wait and see” approach and wants to see the condition of the State’s fiscal health. However, these hot-button issues have not only gotten the attention of legislators up for re-election, but it has brought out very vocal and involved constituencies. Advocacy groups representing education, state workers, and health have all been at the State Capitol this week making their voices heard on their priorities.
Monday, January 15 th is the deadline for the introduction of bills and constitutional amendments, so lawmakers must be sure to get their legislation out by this date. Committees and subcommittees have been and will continue to be hard at work as the deadline to report bills out of committee is January 30, only two weeks away.
A few bills to note this week:
HB 349, creates the Mississippi Tobacco Control Commission, which seeks to deal with the need for a comprehensive tobacco cessation program in the State. The commission plans to continue the efforts started by the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, but were ended last legislative session.
HB 555, extends the repealer on the State Board of Health and the State Department of Health and allows them to exist until 2009. The troubles at the State Department of Health have many legislators concerned about how best to remedy the problem. Some legislators have suggested abolishing the State Board of Health, while others have suggested restructuring the makeup. This is just one piece of legislation, among others that seeks to deal with the issue.
For more information on these and other bills we are tracking, please check our website under the Legislative Update link.
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