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Jackson, Miss. (WAPT) - Mississippi lawmakers have allocated massive amounts of both new state money and a large infusion of federal funds in what was arguably one of the most impactful sessions in recent years. Advertisement During the session, which was wrapping up Tuesday, legislators signed off on medical marijuana, handed out the largest income tax cut in state history and approved a large pay hike for teachers. "We have funded a quarter of a billion dollars for teachers in Mississippi to bring them up above the Southeastern average," Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said. "In addition to that, we funded $40 million to improve the school buildings in Mississippi." Lawmakers were bolstered by higher revenues than projected this year, and [...]

Magee, Miss. (Magee News) - Jackson, Miss.—The Mississippi Senate today advanced a $230 million plan to invest in roads, bridges, and other infrastructure across the state. House Bill 1630, which is the Mississippi Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) budget bill, will next receive consideration from the Governor. Under the legislation, the state’s Emergency Road and Bridge Repair (ERBR) program would see a boost of $100 million. Other allocations in the bill are as follows: $40 million to MDOT to match federal funds from the Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act; $45 million toward accelerating MDOT’s three-year maintenance schedule; $35 million toward accelerating MDOT’s “capacity” schedule, which relates to additional lanes for increased traffic; and $10 million to ports through the Mississippi [...]

Jackson, Miss. (WJTV) - On Monday, April 4, Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R-Miss.) announced the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive (MFlex) will soon become law. MFlex is an economic development incentive created by economic developers across Mississippi. Hosemann said the Mississippi Senate took final action on Senate Bill 2159, authored by Senate Economic and Workforce Development Chairman David Parker, last week. The legislation now heads to Governor Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) for consideration. Mississippi lawmakers aim to finish budget and end session “This program, which streamlines incentives to spur economic growth, has been several years in the making. The hard work of Chairman Parker and so many of our local economic developers have seen it through to fruition,” Hosemann said. “As a [...]

Jackson, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi teachers would receive their largest pay raise in years, under a bill that the state Senate passed Thursday. The House still needs to pass the final version of House Bill 530 before it can go to Republican Gov. Tate Reeves for his expected signature, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported. Mississippi has long had some of the lowest teachers salaries in the nation. “This is the plan that teachers have told us they wanted,” Senate Education Chairman Dennis DeBar said. “This is the input they provided to each and every one of us since last year.” The bill would provide an average increase of about $5,100 — a jump of more than 10% over teachers’ [...]

Jackson, Miss. (WJTV) - Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R-Miss.) announced the Mississippi Senate voted unanimously to suspend legislative deadlines to clear the path for legislation which would codify Article 3, Section 17A of the Mississippi Constitution. The constitutional provision prohibits the state or local governments from taking private property through eminent domain and conveying it to private entities for a period of 10 years. Exemptions are provided for levee facilities, road, bridge, ports, airports, common carriers, drainage facilities and utilities. Senators Briggs Hopson, Dennis DeBar, and Tyler McCaughn initially co-authored Senate Concurrent Resolution 563. “This legislation will confirm again our citizens’ clear voice in the Constitution that property rights are sacred in Mississippi,” Hosemann said. View Original Story (March 17, [...]

Biloxi, Miss. (Sun Herald) - Faced with record gas prices, Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann is calling for the suspension of the state’s 18.4 cents gas tax. Hosemann is asking for a six-month suspension. “The No. 1 concern citizens are discussing around their kitchen tables is the increased cost of goods and services,” Hosemann said in announcement of the proposal. “Reducing what Mississippians are paying at the pump is direct and immediate relief to families.” Mississippi along with the rest of the country has been faced with surging gas costs amid the the war in Ukraine and other economic factors. Although much of the recent price experts attribute to the war in Ukraine, prices were on the rise before this. [...]