AI Task Force Bill Passed in House Committee
Last week, SB 2062, my bill which would create a task force to study the responsible application of artificial intelligence (AI) in Mississippi schools, was passed by the House Education Committee. This is an important step in the process of getting this legislation through the process and into law. I am grateful to my colleagues in the House for working with me on this, and I look forward to seeing this bill continue to proceed through the legislative process.
Legislative Doctor of the Day - Dr. Gaudet
Dr. Gaudet from Hattiesburg served last week as the Legislative Doctor of the Day. Each day, a different physician from around Mississippi is asked to serve in this position, which provides medical care to Legislators and staff in need of attention at the Capitol. I appreciate his service to the Legislature and his dedication to providing high quality care to Mississippians.
Senator Chris Johnson with Dr. John Gaudet and staff in the Senate chamber
Senate work
The Senate passed a number of appropriation and revenue bills last week, as we faced and met several deadlines for all such legislation to be passed out of the chamber. Some of the appropriation bills dealt with remaining funds Mississippi received as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which was passed by Congress several years ago during the pandemic. One of these bills - SB 3165 - allocated additional resources to the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to upgrade roads on the agency's special projects list.
The Senate also took up several resolutions on the floor, including one honoring Konnor Griffin, who is a prolific baseball player at Jackson Prep and is considered by many to be the best high school baseball player in America. I was excited for the opportunity to meet and speak with Konnor about his baseball career and future ambitions in the sport.
Senator Chris Johnson with Konnor Griffin
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith joined us on the Senate floor last week where the Senate presented her with Senate Concurrent Resolution 509, which honored her career and her being the first woman elected to represent the state of Mississippi in Congress. Senator Hyde-Smith served in the state Senate before being elected as Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture Commerce and later being appointed and re-elected to the U.S. Senate.
The next deadline is coming up soon, on Tuesday, April 2. All bills from the opposite chamber must be passed out of committee by then, so the Senate will be busy considering House bills in committees leading up to that.
I want to hear from you!
Have any questions or thoughts about legislation? Let me know! 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.