Senate Tax Bill
This week, the Senate passed legislation to provide major tax relief to Mississippians. Senate Bill 3164 phases out the state’s 4 percent income tax bracket and eases the burden on Mississippi families at the grocery store by reducing the state’s grocery tax from 7 percent to 5 percent. It also provides a one-time tax rebate to all Mississippians who pay income taxes in 2022 up to $1,000. Lastly, it reduces the cost of car tags by eliminating the state’s fee on car tags. As vice chair of the Senate Finance Committee, I have spent a good bit of time on this piece of legislation and am proud of the responsible bill we’ve crafted that puts money back into the pockets of Mississippians without jeopardizing our ability to fund priorities like public safety and education.
Senate Bond Bills
The Senate passed several bond bills this week that will now go to the House for deliberation. SB 2983, 3150 and 3153 direct the state to issue bonds for the purposes of capital improvements, economic development projects, and other important investments in Mississippi’s communities. Additionally, SB 3167 gives the Mississippi Department of Transportation $300 million to place into the state’s Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Program. Issuing bonds is an important role of the Legislature, and I work diligently to ensure we choose the best possible projects for bonds.
Appropriation Deadline
This week, the Legislature faced a deadline to pass all appropriation bills out of their originating chamber. That means that a majority of this week was spent passing Senate appropriations bills and sending them to the House for further work. The majority of appropriations and bond bills do not get completed until the very end of the session, so we will likely see and work on them again before final versions are sent to the Governor.
Let me know
This week, the Legislature faced a deadline to pass all appropriation bills out of their originating chamber. That means that a majority of this week was spent passing Senate appropriations bills and sending them to the House for further work. Most appropriations and bond bills do not get completed until the very end of the session, so we will likely see and work on them again before final versions are sent to the Governor.