Mississippi Justice Court Judges Convention
I was honored to speak to the annual convention of the Mississippi Justice Court Judges Association about my role in crafting legislation that affects administration of their statutory duties. As a legislator, my goal is to look at how we can improve parts of the law to be clear and fair, removing ambiguity and ensuring uniform treatment of our citizens across Justice Court jurisdictions. I appreciate the hard work of the men and women who serve as Justice Court Judges and look forward to working with this group to further improve the Mississippi court experience.
Tax-free weekend approaches
The 2022 Mississippi Sales Tax Holiday takes place between 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 29, and 12:00 midnight Saturday, July 30. During this time period, sales tax is not due on sales of items such as articles of clothing, footwear, or school supplies if the sales price is less than $100. I encourage my constituents to take advantage of this legislatively-created tax relief weekend, especially as the cost of goods continues to rise. To see more details about what is and is not included in the tax-free weekend, visit the Department of Revenue information page here.
State’s unemployment rate lowers
Mississippi’s joblessness rate fell to 3.8 percent in June, becoming a new series low according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 1,160,500 people working in the state during this time, an increase of 3,400 over the month. Forrest County had an unemployment rate of 4.3 percent and Perry County had an unemployment rate of 5.5 percent. Statewide, industries that registered the largest monthly gains were in the Educational and Health Services sector and the Professional Business Services sector. Although the unemployment rate is but one indicator of economic health, I am pleased with these numbers which show our conservative state policies are working.
Mississippi ends fiscal year with surplus
Revenue numbers are in, showing the state ended its Fiscal Year 2022 with a surplus. Revenue collections through June were $1.45 billion or 24.6 percent above the sine die estimate and $643.3 million or 9.5 percent above prior year collections. By promoting pro-growth economic policies and limiting use of our state’s credit card, Republicans in the Legislature have ensured the state remains on solid financial footing.
New fiscal year, new laws
Often times, the Legislature will pass laws that go into effect July 1, the beginning of the fiscal year. Some of the interesting new laws going into effect this month include a new state song, “One Mississippi,”; the start of Mississippi’s medical marijuana program; allowing food trucks to acquire liquor licenses; reducing income taxes; and substantially increasing teacher pay
In July, Pearl River Community College was awarded $1.7 million in grants from AccelerateMS for workforce development efforts benefitting local business and industry.
Let me know your thoughts
While I’m proud of what we have accomplished in the Legislature, I know there’s more work to do. Let me know any thoughts you have on how I can better serve the constituents of Senate District 45 by emailing me at chjohnson@senate.ms.gov.