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Rep. Noah Sanford
The 2024 legislative session adjourned sine die on Saturday, May 4, 2024. Unless Governor Tate Reeves calls a special session, the legislature will not convene again until January 2025.
The last few weeks of session saw the final appropriations bills adopted. In total, the 2024 state budget came in at $7.9 billion. This includes historic investments in K-12 education and Child Protective Services.
One of the most significant pieces of legislation to have passed this session was House Bill 4130. The bill, which passed by a vote of 117-3, did away with the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP), which has been the funding formula for K-12 education since the 1990s, and replaced it with a more equitable and student-centered model. Funds will be allocated to each school district based on the number of students, with additional funds allocated based on the individual needs of each child; more funds are provided for students who live in poverty, those in gifted programs, those in CTE (vo-tech) programs, those with learning disabilities, those living in rural districts (which may need additional transportation funding), and those who are English language learners.
Senate Bill 3231, which passed by a vote of 107-1, would phase-in the scheduled increase in the employer contribution rate of the state retirement system (PERS). The originally planned increase would have taken effect in a single year and would likely have caused large increases in property taxes in cities and counties across the state.
Senate Bill 2753, dubbed the “SAFER Act,” which passed by a margin of 85-29, would require government buildings in Mississippi that contain “safe spaces” (i.e. dormitories, restrooms, locker rooms, etc.) to have either single sex or single-use options available. This will ensure that women, especially those in school and college, are not compelled (by a lack of any other option) to share a safe space with men.
One of the bills which generated a great deal of attention this year was House Bill 1725. A conference report was filed which would have made Medicaid available for people whose annual incomes were below 100% of the federal poverty line ($15,060 for a single person) and required recipients to be working at least 25 hours per week. The federal government would have covered ninety percent (90%) of the cost. In the final days of session, it appeared that there was insufficient support to pass the bill, and it died without being brought up for a vote.
As always, I appreciate the opportunity to serve. Please contact me if I may be of assistance or if you have questions or concerns.
Noah Sanford represents parts of Covington, Simpson, Jefferson Davis, Forrest, and Jones Counties in the Mississippi House of Representatives. He can be reached at NSanford@house.ms.gov.
of each child; more funds are provided for students who live in poverty, those in gifted programs, those in CTE (vo-tech) programs, those with learning disabilities, those living in rural districts (which may need additional transportation funding), and those who are English language learners.
Senate Bill 3231, which passed by a vote of 107-1, would phase-in the scheduled increase in the employer contribution rate of the state retirement system (PERS). The originally planned increase would have taken effect in a single year and would likely have caused large increases in property taxes in cities and counties across the state.
Senate Bill 2753, dubbed the “SAFER Act,” which passed by a margin of 85-29, would require government buildings in Mississippi that contain “safe spaces” (i.e. dormitories, restrooms, locker rooms, etc.) to have either single sex or single-use options available. This will ensure that women, especially those in school and college, are not compelled (by a lack of any other option) to share a safe space with men.
One of the bills which generated a great deal of attention this year was House Bill 1725. A conference report was filed which would have made Medicaid available for people whose annual incomes were below 100% of the federal poverty line ($15,060 for a single person) and required recipients to be working at least 25 hours per week. The federal government would have covered ninety percent (90%) of the cost. In the final days of session, it appeared that there was insufficient support to pass the bill, and it died without being brought up for a vote.
As always, I appreciate the opportunity to serve. Please contact me if I may be of assistance or if you have questions or concerns.
Noah Sanford represents parts of Covington, Simpson, Jefferson Davis, Forrest, and Jones Counties in the Mississippi House of Representatives. He can be reached at NSanford@house.ms.gov.
MageeNews.com is the online news source for Simpson and surrounding counties as well as the State of Mississippi
