PCS 4th Graders Visit Capitol
The Capitol had some great visitors last week! 4th graders from PCS in Hattiesburg joined us in the Capitol to tour the facility and learn about the Mississippi Legislature. These kids were all really bright and excited to hear about the work we do each winter in Jackson. I hope to see them all return soon, and I look forward to seeing what they'll achieve in their lives!
Photos of Senator Chris Johnson and 4th graders from PCS
Dr. Gaudet Legislative Doctor of the Day
The Legislature was joined by Dr. John Gaudet of Hattiesburg last week to be our Doctor of the Day. Dr. Gaudet is a pediatrician and a Professor of Medicine at William Carey, where he is helping educate and guide the next generation of medical professionals in Mississippi. Each day, the Legislature invites a deserving physician from across the state to serve as the Legislative Doctor of the Day, who provides emergency and medical treatment to lawmakers and staff at the Capitol. Thank you, Dr. Gaudet, for your service to our community and the great state of Mississippi!
Senator Chris Johnson with Dr. John Gaudet and his student, Manov Yadav
Senate work
Last week, the Senate spent a considerable amount of time passing bills in the chamber and meeting with our counterparts in the House on outstanding general legislation. We've made significant progress on the state's budget, which is expecting to be finalized in the coming days, and have nearly finalized bills involving taxes and bonds. We also confirmed several appointments to state agencies and boards.
This week is expected to be our last of the session. Over the next few days, we will vote on outstanding legislation, pass the final budgets for state agencies, and pass one final resolution marking the end of the session, called Sine Die. It's been a long session, but I'm proud of the work we've been able to do and extremely grateful for the opportunity to represent the amazing people of Senate District 45.
Here are a few bills we passed last week that were sent to the Governor:
SB 2174 increases penalties for car thefts. The country has seen a huge spike in auto theft in the last several years, and this bill will help crack down on this kind of crime and protect Mississippians.
SB 2577 creates criminal penalties for those attempting to meddle in elections with the use of deepfakes, which are realistic, digitally-created images or videos depicting someone without their consent.
HB 1487 revises the boundaries of the Capitol Complex Improvement District, or CCID. The creation of the CCID and Capitol Police has drastically improved our capital city, making it safer for residents and visitors.
I want to hear from you!
As we approach the end of Session, let me know if there are any questions you have regarding the process or any specific legislation. For general thoughts or questions, you can email my senate email: chjohnson@senate.ms.gov. For anything involving the new Government Structure committee, you can email msgovernmentstructure@gmail.com. I would love to talk with you about issues that directly affect you, and emailing me is the best way I can do that.