From Your Capitol – February 3, 2020

During the fourth week of the 2020 legislative session activity is beginning to pick up as committees are getting organized. Each committee must meet and vote on procedures it will use to discuss and vote on bill.

The Speaker of the House is responsible for reviewing all bills submitted by members and assigning them to a committee. Once the bill has been assigned, the chairman is then responsible for reviewing the bills assigned to her committee and deciding if that bill will be considered by the committee. The next deadline is February 13, House members must have their ideas for legislation submitted to the House attorneys by that date to have a bill written.

The Speaker is also responsible for assigning members to each of the committees and deciding committee chairmen and vice-chairmen.

My committee assignments this term are;

• Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency – Vice-Chair
• Appropriations
• Drug Policy
• Judiciary B
• Judiciary En Banc
• Medicaid
• Public Health and Human Services
• Universities and Colleges

Bill of the Week

Senate Bill 2149 is an appropriation bill that would divert an additional $400,000 to the Department of Finance and Administration in preparation of the 2020 US. Census. These funds will be used to promote and educate Mississippians about the importance of being counted by the census. The bill passed with a vote of 114-5.

I voted NO on this bill because I believe this is a wasteful and irresponsible way to spend your money. We have already appropriated money for this purpose, this was additional funds that the Department of Finance claimed it needed for advertising the census. The state of Mississippi has other needs for its money that is way more important.

Follow the Legislature

If you would like to follow the Mississippi legislature and see each bill that we are voting on, go to www.MSPolicyVotes.org. The Mississippi Center for Public policy reads every bill and ranks each based on how that bill promotes or harms liberty. It is a great resource that you can use to measure how well your legislator is voting to protect your liberty and freedom.

My Votes

Thank you to the people of Olive Branch and District 6 for allowing me to serve in the Mississippi Legislature. It is an honor to be a part of making the state of Mississippi Great!

Dana