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Rep. Noah Sanford
With the deadline to pass most House bills out of the full chamber fast approaching, we have debated bills the past several days for most of the mornings and afternoons.
Among the bills which gained support across party lines was House Bill 1063, which would provide state employees with up to eight weeks of paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child. The measure, which passed by a margin of 114-0, aims to support young parents and help keep the state competitive in attracting workers.
House Bill 287, which also passed unanimously, would designate the sweet potato as the official state vegetable. Most sources show Mississippi as ranking either second or third in sweet potato production out of the fifty states; North Carolina has been first for many years.
Not all measures were as bipartisan. House Bill 1435 would allow students to transfer across school district lines to any public school district that is willing to accept them. Districts will be able to determine whether they are at capacity and, if not, how many students they could accept via such a transfer. Further, districts would be able to reject an applicant based on his or her disciplinary record, but may not discriminate based on athletic ability, academic record, race, gender, or disability. Districts would be required to publicly report the demographic and other characteristics of the students they accept. The Bill passed by a margin of 69 to 47.
Joint Resolution 1 would redistrict a number of the House legislative districts in Northeast Mississippi, primarily in Lowndes, Monroe, and Chickasaw Counties. Last summer, a panel of three federal judges found that one district—based in Chickasaw County—was drawn in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Redrawing that district required moving lines of the surrounding districts, as well, effecting five in total. Those five districts will be required to hold new elections later this year. The resolution passed 81 to 33.
Most bills must pass the full House by Thursday, February 13, which may lead to some long days.
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.
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