Brandon Jones - House District 111

Dear Friends,

I hope you all had a great week. At the Capitol, we began meeting with our respective committees and passed bills that will help some of our state’s neediest citizens.

Report for the Week Ending January 25, 2008

On Wednesday, the House Education Committee heard from State Superintendent Hank Bounds. He gave us an overview of the Quality Education Act of 2008, a package that includes the State Board of Education’s major legislative priorities. These priorities include: fully funding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program ($2.5 million more than current year); providing funding for the Early Learning Collaborative Act of 2007; restoring teacher supply funds; increasing the base salary of teachers by 3%; expanding the incremental salary increases for teachers’ years of experience from 25 to 30 years; phasing in the appointment of school superintendents; decreasing the bond passage rate from 60% to 55%; requiring additional training for school board members who have one or more underperforming schools and/or whose district has been determined to have a serious financial problem; and creating a task force on underperforming schools and districts.

In floor action, the full House unanimously passed House Bills 145 and 159. HB 145 will provide non-emergency transportation for certain Medicaid patients seeking kidney dialysis treatment. HB 159 will provide funds to continue operations at seven (7) mental health centers across the state.

By week’s end, dozens of bills had been introduced by our members. Many of these proposals are being considered for the first time while others have been introduced in past sessions without passage. Bills often face scrutiny in several sessions before gaining final passage.

Some of the bills listed in our bill introduction sheets include:

• HB 4 to upgrade educational programs required for pre-licensing and continuing education of insurance agents;
• HB 8 to prohibit the use of cellular phones (except hands free devices) while operating a vehicle;
• HB 9 to study the feasibility of requiring safety belts on public school buses;
• HB 11 to increase to 88,000 pounds the maximum gross weight for vehicles on state roads;
• HB 22 increasing the excise tax on cigarettes;
• HB 25 requiring teacher education courses to include instruction on the teaching of phonics;
• HB 31 requiring a pilot program on banning smoking at state correctional facilities;
• HB 32 providing that anyone convicted twice or more for the sale or distribution of illegal drugs not be allowed to serve the sentence within 100 miles of where the felony was committed;
• HB 53 creating a tuition waiver program for spouses of active duty Guard personnel;
• HB 54 to prohibit the opening of a public school term before Labor Day;
• HB 69 to require a minimum number of women’s restrooms and diaper areas in state buildings;
• HB 80 to exempt the purchase of hearing aids and prescription eyeglasses from state sales tax;
• HB 97 requiring headlights to be on when conditions necessitate the use of windshield wipers;
• HB 132 requiring the state to include civil rights education in school curriculum;
• HB 156-157 to prohibit smoking in all family restaurants and public places in the state; and
• HB 19 extending the homestead exemption rule from two years to three years for homes damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The homes must be in the counties declared a major disaster area.

Governor Barbour gave his first “State of the State” address for the new term of office this week in the House chamber. Delivered on the celebration day for the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, the governor said, “It is appropriate we are again together for this occasion on Dr. Martin Luther King Day.  Our state has the highest percentage African-American population; and the issues, with which we will deal, affect all Mississippians and should receive our best effort to serve the interests of all.”

At midweek, Governor Barbour announced the members of a public-private commission which will study Mississippi’s tax system on a comprehensive basis, including how federal and local tax structures affect Mississippi citizens and businesses. The group will provide a report of its findings to the Governor and legislature by August 31, 2008. Leland Speed, a Jackson businessman and former executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority, will chair the commission. Other members of the commission include House Ways and Means Chairman Percy Watson, and former House members Sonny Meredith and Charlie Williams.

Later, Governor Barbour released his executive budget recommendations for the next fiscal year. The Governor’s conservative budget proposal funds the operations of state agencies at about $5.6 billion, which is only a slight increase (0.4%) over Fiscal Year 2008.  The smaller increase can be attributed to a softening national economy and the slowing rate of state revenue increases, Governor Barbour said.

If you have any questions or concerns, I invite you to call me on my cell phone at 228-326-7649 or e-mail me. Please feel free to forward this report to folks in our district and let me know if I need to add someone to my list.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Brandon