Deadlines
The Legislature faced another big deadline this week: the deadline for bills to pass out of the chamber in which they originated. In other words, all Senate general bills either passed out of the floor of the Senate, or they died. Now, the Senate will begin working through all the bills we received from the House, which will be assigned to committees soon.
Interesting Bills
With all Senate general bills having either died or passed through to the House, I thought I’d highlight a few of the more interesting pieces of legislation that we’ve passed. SB 2504 would create a separate division within the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks known as Division of Parks and Recreation to ensure our beautiful state parks are well run and open to any who would like to enjoy Mississippi’s natural resources. Importantly, the Senate passed SB 2822, which sets aside $750M from the American Rescue Plan for the purposes of repairing water and sewer infrastructure in municipalities and counties. As we move through the session, I’ll continue to keep you updated on interesting pieces of legislation that could affect you.
Supporting Teachers
As a member of the Senate Education Committee, I have worked hard to champion legislation that would give Mississippi’s teachers better pay, better benefits, and a better quality of life. This week, the Senate passed SB 2416, 2423, and 2443, all of which are designed to reward our teachers for the amazing work they do. Along with a historic pay raise, which will increase annual salaries, we also eased regulations which prohibited teachers from rolling over accrued leave time when they transition from one district to another. We also shortened the time it takes for MDE to issue teacher licenses, quickening the process for new or moving teachers.
Let me know
Are there any interesting topics you’d like to see taken up by the Legislature? Have any thoughts on any specific legislation? I’d love to hear from you! Shoot me an email at chjohnson@senate.ms.gov.