Steve Wilson | The Grenada Star

Large economic development projects funded by taxpayer-funded incentives such as Continental Tire have been a part of state policy for decades. A bill that would reform a complicated raft of incentives into an easier to understand and more transparent program passed the Senate Thursday.

Bill that would streamline economic development incentives passes unanimously in the Senate

By Steve Wilson , READ MORE > 1,713 Reads
On Thu, 02/18/2021 - 01:43 PM

The Mississippi Senate passed two bills Thursday that would overhaul the state’s labyrinthine code of financial incentives for companies seeking to relocate to the state or expand their existing facilities.

There are two bills that were authored by state Sen. David Parker, R-Olive Branch.

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A bill that would purge the voter rolls of inactive voters is now in the hands of the House.

Bill that would purge voter rolls of inactive voters headed to House

By Steve Wilson , READ MORE > 1,077 Reads
On Thu, 02/18/2021 - 10:12 AM

A bill that would purge the voter rolls of inactive voters passed the state Senate and was sent to the House after a motion to reconsider was removed from the bill Tuesday.

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A new way to calculate the student population for funding purposes will have to wait until next session.

Switch in way that state calculates student population for funding purposes will have to wait until next session

By Steve Wilson , READ MORE > 796 Reads
On Mon, 02/15/2021 - 09:03 AM

Some Republican lawmakers and the state superintendent of education are united to change the way the state calculates school attendance as it pertains to school funding, but a change will have to wait until next session.

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A bill that would require student athletes to compete according to their biological sex passed the Mississippi Senate Thursday.

Bill that would require student athletes to compete according to their biological sex passes the state Senate

By Steve Wilson , READ MORE > 4,152 Reads
On Thu, 02/11/2021 - 10:38 PM

A bill that would protect biological female student athletes from having to compete against those born as males passed in the Mississippi Senate on Thursday.

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The Mississippi House passed two bills that would help increase broadband access in rural areas.

Mississippi House passes two bills that would expand broadband access in rural areas

By Steve Wilson , READ MORE > 1,300 Reads
On Tue, 02/09/2021 - 12:58 PM

The Mississippi House of Representatives passed two bills that would improve access in rural areas to broadband services on Tuesday, including one that would create a broadband grant program and another that would allow the state’s investor-owned utilities to lease their unused fiber capacity to third-party providers.

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Lawmakers have pared the number of bills down from more than 2,000 to 644 after a key deadline Tuesday.

Alcohol distribution, occupational licensing reform bills pass key deadline in Legislature

By Steve Wilson , READ MORE > 2,292 Reads
On Thu, 02/04/2021 - 01:38 PM

The first big deadline for the Mississippi Legislature was Tuesday and the number of bills has been whittled down from more than 2,000 to 644.

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A solar farm could be built in Scott County near the Rankin County line.

Commission could soon approve state's largest solar facility in Scott County

By Steve Wilson , READ MORE > 2,349 Reads
On Tue, 02/02/2021 - 01:13 PM

The Mississippi Public Service Commission is one step closer to approving a new solar facility in Scott County that could be the biggest in the state after issuing an order at its monthly meeting Tuesday.

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The Legislature is approaching a critical deadline Tuesday for general bills from the other chamber to pass out of committee.

Legislature closes in on critical deadline with bills that reform the ABC system and state income tax still alive

By Steve Wilson , READ MORE > 627 Reads
On Fri, 02/26/2021 - 11:05 AM

The Mississippi Legislature’s annual session is down to its final month and there are plenty of issues still in play, including reform of the state’s alcohol distribution system, a first step toward the elimination of the state’s income tax and several more that deal with the occupational licensing.

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Optometrists will be able to expand their scope of practice under a bill passed by the Senate Thursday.

Bill that would expand scope of practice for optometrists passes Senate

By Steve Wilson , READ MORE > 294 Reads
On Thu, 02/25/2021 - 04:08 PM

The Senate passed an amended House bill Thursday that could give optometrists the ability to prescribe medication and perform procedures that were previously prohibited to them.

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A bill that could change the way the state Department of Human Services monitors the eligibility of welfare recipients has now passed the Senate.

Critics say that a bill that would change the way the state calculates welfare eligibility could 'explode' the state's welfare rolls

By Steve Wilson , READ MORE > 701 Reads
On Tue, 02/16/2021 - 01:53 PM

A bill that passed the Senate and is now in the hands of the House would change the way the Department of Human Services calculates eligibility for welfare programs administered by the state.

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