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Week of February 21, 2022
This was the eighth week of the 2022 Legislative Session. Wednesday, Feb. 23 marked the deadline for original floor action on House appropriations and revenue bills. The Appropriations committee considered most budget bills last week, but the Ways and Means committee took up several revenue bills to meet this week’s deadline.
The Pregnancy Resource Act (House Bill 1685) would authorize a tax credit for individuals or businesses who donate money to a nonprofit that operates as a crisis pregnancy center. The bill passed with a bipartisan vote of 115-0.
House Bill 1530 would provide bond money to match federal funds in the Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund. HB 1530 passed 112-8 and has been sent to the Senate.
Two different bills would allow income tax credits for certain entities. House Bill 1108 would authorize an income tax credit for certain railroad reconstruction and/or replacement expenditures. House Bill 1684 would authorize an income tax credit for qualified wood energy products and forest maintenance projects. Both bills passed the House and have been sent to the Senate for consideration.
House Bill 1564 would authorize county or municipal leaders to grant a partial ad valorem tax exemption for nonresidential property that is being converted to residential property. The bill passed unanimously by a vote of 119-0.
Certain highway projects around the state would be funded by bond money in House Bill 1686. This bond bill passed 116-3.
House Bill 1639 would impose a tax on motor vehicles charged at alternative-fuel stations, most notably electric vehicles. This tax would be similar to taxes already imposed on gasoline and diesel vehicles. The bill passed the House by a vote of 102-14 and has been sent to the Senate.
Many of these revenue bills include a “reverse repealer” clause, meaning that these bills will go to conference for further revision before the end of the session.
Committees began to meet again this week to discuss Senate bills. Over the next few weeks, Senate bills will come out of House committees and onto the House floor for discussion. The Senate will go through the same process with House bills.
One bill that has already made its way to the House floor from the Senate side is Senate Bill 2806, which would prohibit reverse auctions for repair and remodeling of public facilities. The bill passed by a vote of 81-32 before being held on a motion to reconsider.
On Tuesday, the House honored two members of the Jackson Fire Department for their service on the Mississippi Urban Search and Rescue Task Force during Hurricane Ida. Lieutenant Toby Johnson (House Concurrent Resolution 11) and Linc Tucker (House Concurrent Resolution 12) were presented with their respective resolutions in the chamber gallery.
Other visitors at the Capitol this week included the Mississippi Youth Council, the American Heart Association, the Mississippi Chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies, the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Teen Pact and the ACLU of Mississippi.
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