Video & Transcript Research : 'January 12'
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Mississippi 2025 Regular Session
Drug Policy - Room 409, 30 January, 2025; 8:30 A.M.
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Mississippi 2025 Regular Session
Public Property - Room 216, 29 January, 2025; 8:30 AM
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Mississippi 2025 Regular Session
Government Structure - Room 210; 29 January, 2025: 2:30 PM
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Mississippi 2025 Regular Session
Jud B - Room 409, 14 January, 2025; 10:30 A.M.
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Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Highways and Transportation - Room 216, 30 January, 2026; 10:00 AM
Highways and Transportation
Summary:
The committee first took up Senate Bill 2269, the Mississippi Fully Autonomous Vehicle Enabling Act. The bill was described as simply extending the repealer date to July 1, 2029. A motion was made that the title was sufficient and the bill do pass, and it passed without opposition.
The committee then considered Senate Bill 2614, which would authorize county sheriffs and deputies to use radar on county roads, subject to county board approval and population-based limits on the number of radar units. Senator Thompson said the measure was intended to reduce Mississippi’s high rate of speed-related highway fatalities, not to create revenue or speed traps. He explained that fines would be directed to the Mississippi Department of Education to support driver’s education programs, and that the bill includes a 1,000-foot buffer from municipal limits and a definition prohibiting speed traps.
Members asked about engineering reviews of speed limits, opt-in/opt-out authority for supervisors, quotas, body cameras, and how the bill would affect counties that already use radar. Thompson said the bill does not require roadway reassessments, that county boards must approve radar use, that he would not oppose a quota-related amendment, and that a body-camera requirement would be beyond the bill’s scope and could burden departments that cannot afford it. Several senators spoke in support, citing public safety and sheriff support, while one senator raised concerns about transparency and public trust. The committee then voted that the title was sufficient and the bill do pass, and the motion carried.
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Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Judiciary, Division B - Room 409, 29 January, 2026; 9:30 A.M.
Judiciary, Division B
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Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Judiciary, Division A - Room 216, 29 January, 2026; 3:00 PM
Judiciary, Division A
Summary:
The committee met to discuss several bills, beginning with a block motion on Senate Bills 2138, 2697, 2707, 2717, and 2726. Those measures were described as code-section updates involving redrawn Supreme Court districts, youth court reforms, Administrative Office of Courts matters, replacement of the MyKids youth court computer system, and Mississippi opioid settlement commission procedures. The committee agreed to take them up together, and the motion to report them title sufficient and due pass carried without opposition.
The committee then considered Senate Bill 2890, dealing with the judicial operations fund. Members were told the fund no longer has sufficient revenue to cover court operations and requested judicial raises, and the proposed committee substitute would repeal the fund while conforming related code references. The substitute was adopted and the bill was reported title sufficient and due pass. Senate Bill 2730, granting immunity to nonprofits and churches that open during declared emergencies, was amended with a reverse repealer and then passed as amended.
Next, Senate Bill 2135 was explained as a change to jury summons procedures so clerks could use the SEMS active/inactive voter designation and summon only active voters, without removing anyone from the voter rolls. The bill drew no opposition and passed, though a reverse repealer was later requested on similar procedural grounds in other bills. Senate Bill 2360 would create a public registry of entities that, though appearing private, are covered by the Mississippi Tort Claims Act; members discussed whether such entities should also be required to identify themselves on websites and written materials, and an amendment to that effect was adopted. A reverse repealer was then added, and the bill passed as amended.
Finally, Senate Bill 2362 was presented as a proposal to create a private cause of action under the Unfair Trade Practices Act, allowing claimants to sue directly while still notifying the Attorney General. The sponsor said the bill would not add extra damages and noted similar laws in other states. The committee discussion was cut off in the transcript before a final vote on that bill is shown.
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Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency - Room 210; 28 January, 2026: 10:30 AM
Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency
Transcript Highlights:
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Summary:
The committee first nominated and elected Senator Lane Taylor as secretary by voice vote, with no opposition. It then took up several bills and reported each one out after brief explanations and no recorded opposition.
Senate Bill 2372, from the Department of Archives and History, would allow county filing-fee revenues now used only for preservation of historic records to also support records management, historic preservation, and museum services in counties. Barry White said the money is not for capital projects, but could fund services such as building assessments and recommendations. The committee also heard Senate Bill 2378, which would raise court reporter transcript fees from $2.40 to $4.00 per page; the sponsor said most costs are paid by litigants, while county funds are mainly affected in indigent criminal appeals. Both bills were advanced.
The committee next considered Senate Bill 2401, relating to Accelerate Mississippi. Senator Sparks said it would extend the repealer to 2029, update procurement and reporting provisions, change some federal terminology, move the annual report deadline from October 1 to November 1, and repeal obsolete workforce-area references. It was reported out after a brief question about the obsolete sections. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 2402, the Amy Act, which removes the five-day grace period for lobbyist registration so registration must occur before a person begins lobbying; sponsors said the goal is transparency and tracking misinformation, not changing the definition of lobbyist.
Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 2445 on community mental health centers. Department of Mental Health Executive Director Wendy Bailey said the bill would create a formal performance audit process, with standards developed by June 30, 2027 and audits beginning in FY28 every two years. Centers failing standards would be placed on probation, and continued failure could lead to temporary replacement of leadership by DMH-selected contractors until compliance is restored. Members asked about current probation and decertification procedures, the number of struggling centers, and whether consolidation would be preferable; Bailey said the department wants to preserve local centers and use the process only as a temporary intervention. The bill was discussed but the transcript cuts off before a final vote is shown.
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Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Highways and Transportation - Room 216, 28 January, 2026; 2:00 PM
Highways and Transportation
Summary:
The committee took up several memorial highway and scenic byway measures. It first discussed designating a segment of US Highway 98 in Greene County as the Michael Robinson Memorial Highway, and members agreed to a committee substitute to reduce the designation to one mile before advancing it. The committee also considered Senate Bill 2267 to honor Judge Lloyd Gilmer Spivey III with a one-mile memorial highway designation, and Senate Bill 2629 to designate a segment of Mississippi Highway 32 in Calhoun County as the Joe Tunnel Memorial Highway; both were moved forward without recorded opposition.
The committee then considered a scenic byways measure to designate certain road segments in Chickasaw County as the Davis Lake Road Scenic Byway, which was also advanced on motion. Finally, it took up a memorial highway bill for Mississippi Highway 550 in Lincoln County to honor Lamar Smith; members amended that bill to a one-mile designation via committee substitute and then approved the committee substitute and title sufficient do pass. The chair then announced the next item would be a radar bill for Senator Rhodes.
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Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Universities and Colleges - Room 216, 28 January, 2026; 4:00 PM
Universities and Colleges
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Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Judiciary, Division B - Room 409, 28 January, 2026; 9:00 A.M.
Judiciary, Division B
Summary:
The committee first took up Senate Bill 21104, a Gaming Commission criminal penalties bill presented by Commissioner Jay McDaniel. He said the measure is essentially the same as a bill passed by the Senate last year and would keep penalties low for people merely playing gaming, but make it a felony for operators of illegal online gaming platforms, with a $100,000 fine per conviction and forfeiture authority for funds tied to the crime. The committee substitute was described as clarifying that the penalties target the operator rather than the platform being used. After no questions, the committee moved and adopted the bill.
The committee then heard three Department of Public Safety bills from Commissioner Tindle. Senate Bill 2232 would raise seat belt fines from $25 to $100 and direct the additional revenue into existing driver education-related funds, with the stated goal of supporting driver education programs and improving teen road safety. Members asked about the revenue impact and whether the money would be appropriated back to the department and schools; Tindle said the funds would still be subject to legislative appropriation. The bill was moved and adopted, though some members raised concerns about redirecting local fine revenue.
Senate Bill 2314 was described as a cleanup bill for driver’s license statutes, updating outdated references, removing obsolete paperwork requirements, allowing first-class mail and optional digital notice through mobile ID, and reflecting the department’s move from Jackson to Pearl. Members questioned whether first-class mail could shorten response time for suspension notices and how mobile ID notices would work; Tindle said the change was intended to save money and allow electronic notice if users opt in. The committee also adopted this bill. Senate Bill 2817 would reorganize DPS by consolidating several divisions into a new Mississippi State Bureau of Investigations, combine equipment and software purchases, raise autopsy fees from $1,000 to $1,200, increase salvage title inspection fees from $75 to $125, and open a broader discussion about the Highway Patrol’s future role. It was also moved and adopted. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2230 from Senator Hill, which would extend electronic warrants to misdemeanors; members discussed efficiency, warrant databases, and Fourth Amendment concerns, but no final action on that bill was shown in the excerpt.
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Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Highways and Transportation - Room 216, 21 January, 2026; 10:45 AM
Highways and Transportation
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Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Highways and Transportation - Room 216, January 14, 2026; 10:30 AM
Highways and Transportation
Transcript Highlights:
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Summary:
Amtrak officials Todd Stenis and Jeff Mann briefed the committee on Amtrak service in Mississippi, with a focus on the new Mardi Gras state-supported route on the Gulf Coast. They reviewed Amtrak’s national structure, including the distinction between long-distance and state-supported service under PRIIA section 209, and noted that Mississippi is served by the City of New Orleans, the Crescent, and the new Mardi Gras service. They said the Mardi Gras began service on August 18 and operates four trains a day between New Orleans and Mobile with Mississippi stops, supported by Mississippi, Louisiana, and Mobile.
The officials reported strong early performance for Mardi Gras, saying ridership had already exceeded 60,000 by the end of December against a 71,000 first-year projection, with about 435 passengers per day and a 64% average load factor. They also cited 86% on-time performance, a 94% customer satisfaction index, and average fares of $27 in coach and $66 in business class. They said the service is benefiting from strong demand, good coordination with host railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern, and planned capital improvements totaling more than $200 million that they said should reduce trip times by 30 to 40 minutes.
Committee members responded positively, with Senator Williams praising the train experience and another senator noting personal use of the Mardi Gras service. The presenters invited members to ride the train and described it as a state investment paying off across South Mississippi and the Gulf Coast. After the Amtrak presentation, the committee returned to business and took up one bill, 2019, which would delete the sunset on the provision directing the first $80 million of lottery proceeds to the state highway fund. Senator Blackmon asked for clarification, the chairman confirmed the bill would make the road funding provision permanent, and the committee approved the title and reported the bill out.
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Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
AIR Task Force - Room 409, 13 January, 2026; 3:00 P.M.
Transcript Highlights:
- Good afternoon, everybody, to the January meeting of the AIR Task Force.
Summary:
The January meeting of the AIR Task Force focused on reviewing a draft report on artificial intelligence and discussing how to move forward with future work. Ted Booth and Matthew Holmes explained that the report is intended to lay a foundation by describing AI-related challenges, what Mississippi has already done, and possible steps for future reports, since the task force will continue meeting in coming years. Members were invited to suggest edits and improvements, including on how the group communicates by email and how to keep the process efficient given everyone’s schedules.
A major topic was whether the task force should recommend a statutory definition of artificial intelligence. The chair said a bill needed to be filed quickly and asked members to review the definition on page five of the report. Booth read the definition, which tracks federal language describing a machine-based system that makes predictions, recommendations, or decisions using machine and human inputs. Members generally agreed the definition was solid and noted that it could be amended later as the field evolves.
The task force also discussed the broader legislative approach to AI. Members said the issue is fluid and that they do not want to regulate too early or duplicate existing law. They noted that current criminal statutes, including recent changes related to morphed images, appear to cover AI-related crimes for now, and the attorney general’s office reported no current loopholes or need for tweaks. Homeland Security likewise had no recommendations for new legislation. The chair said the report would be submitted to leadership if there were no objections, and the meeting adjourned.
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Mississippi 2025 Regular Session
Judiciary, Division B - Room 409, 30 January, 2025; 3:45 P.M.
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Mississippi 2025 Regular Session
Universities and Colleges - Room 409, 30 January, 2025; 3:30 P.M.
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Mississippi 2025 Regular Session
Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency - Room 216, 30 January, 2025; 8:00 AM
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Mississippi 2025 Regular Session
Judiciary, Division A - Room 216, 30 January, 2025; 3:00 PM
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Mississippi 2025 Regular Session
Judiciary, Division B - Room 409, 29 January, 2025; 9:00 A.M.
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