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Jackson, Miss. (Mississippi Today) - While the state legislative leadership is consumed with cutting or eliminating the income tax, state business leaders consider lack of skilled workers, Mississippi’s image and problems from the pandemic far more pressing issues. “… The Mississippi tax environment was not high profile nor even discussed significantly as a priority,” said a report released by the Mississippi Economic Council at the state Capitol on Wednesday, based on dozens of meetings and hundreds of surveys of business leaders across the state last year. “… A businessman raised the topic (at one meeting) and dismissed it as a bad idea (a distraction issue, but not really a hindrance to most businesses).” MEC released the report, “Securing Mississippi’s Future,” [...]

Jackson, Miss. (Northside Sun) - The debate about tax cuts within the Mississippi Republican Party is getting pretty interesting. House Speaker Philip Gunn, with supposed aspirations for higher office, wants to blow it out of the water with what he has said, and possibly accurately so, would be the largest tax cut in state history. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who appears to have no higher ambitions than the state’s No. 2 job, has adopted a more conservative approach, looking to cut roughly one-fifth as much as Gunn. We are not convinced the state can afford for the long term either one of these plans. But if we had to choose between the two of them, the plan in Hosemann’s Senate [...]

Jackson, Miss. (Mississippi Today) - Numbers crunched at the state Senate’s request by the Legislative Budget Office show a House income tax elimination plan would cause a huge budget hole starting in its second year. But House leaders say those projections discount booming state revenue, and a modest Senate tax cut plan would not give taxpayers real relief at a time when state coffers are full. The dueling tax cut proposals could provide the political battle of the year as the 2022 legislative session enters its home stretch. Republican leaders in the House and Senate both want income tax cuts, but they remain far apart on their plans and leaders from each side are criticizing the other. The major difference [...]

Purvis, Miss. (Pine Belt News) - The City of Purvis broke ground for construction of a new city hall. The new building, which will be located at the intersection of Shelby Speights Drive and Allen Street, will provide much needed space for city officials and city service offices. The Purvis Police Department will take over use of the old city hall location once construction is complete. “A new city hall is needed because our old one was built in 1968,” said Purvis Mayor Roger Herrin. “It’s going to be a blessing for the city of Purvis. I don’t think you could have picked a better spot for City Hall.” Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, State Senator John Polk (District 44) [...]

Jackson, Miss. (Y'all Politics) - Annual campaign finance reports in Mississippi were due January 31st to recap the prior year’s fundraising. Those reports are now on the Secretary of State’s website. Today, Y’all Politics provides an overview of the latest campaign finance reports for all eight statewide officeholders in Mississippi as well as the six regionally elected state officials serving on the Transportation Commission and the Public Service Commission. In addition, given the rumors swirling around the political future of Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, his annual campaign finance reporting is listed below as well. Governor Tate Reeves comes in atop the fundraising list for the year, pulling in $2.4 million and having nearly $5 million cash on hand [...]

Purvis, Miss. (WHLT) - Positioning Mississippi’s economy to be competitive for the future is a top concern facing the Legislature. Income taxes made up about a third of the state’s $6 billion in tax revenue for Fiscal 2022. The Legislature had previously eliminated the 3-percent income tax bracket on the first $5,000 of taxable income. The Senate and the House still haven’t found common ground on taxes. The Senate proposed a 4-percent bracket and an overall flat rate tax after four years, and the House proposed to eliminate income tax. They want to increase non-grocery sales taxes by one and a half percent. Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann (R-Miss.) said what the House is proposing is almost impossible. Mississippi Senate proposes [...]