The Mississippi House of Representatives convened at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, where the Mississippi Board of Nursing honored Representatives Rickey Thompson, Donnie Scoggin, and Becky Currie with a plaque for their legislative contributions.
On Tuesday, February 4, committees faced a key deadline to report general bills and constitutional amendments, though no floor action occurred. Wednesday, February 5th, began floor action and several key pieces of legislation were passed.
HB 1302 was introduced and passed, legalizing online sports betting and race book wagering in the state (did not vote).
HB 1193, prohibiting public schools, state-accredited nonpublic schools, and public colleges from implementing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs or requiring diversity statements in hiring and admissions, was passed (no).
HB 1435 streamlines Mississippi’s student transfer process by eliminating the requirement for a student’s home district to approve transfers, leaving the decision solely to the receiving district (yea). I successfully amended this bill to add Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) to complete a comprehensive report to include, but not limited to, basic administration, education functions, demographics, fiscal impact of school districts and state, equity and transparency in adopted policies and be presented to the legislature after one year of implementation.
A joint resolution was passed to amend the House district map following a federal court ruling on Voting Rights Act violations (no). The revisions affect House Districts 16, 22, 36, 39, and 41 to ensure compliance while minimizing disruption. This map requires court approval upon passage.
HB 1544 adjusts the number of judges and residency requirements for several circuit and chancery court districts, ensuring proper judicial representation and accommodating district needs (no).