2018 Legislator Business & Jobs Report Card

voted for business/jobs position
voted against business/jobs position
NV = Not Voting or Absent
EA = Excused Absence
P = Present

* Points were not deducted for those voting Present (P) or for those with a Excused Absence (EA). Points were deducted for those Not Voting.

Representatives / Senators

Grade	Office Holder	Party	District	HB 1198This legislation would have required private insurance plans to cover specific health benefits. The costs associated with the mandate would ultimately result in increased premiums. This would impact the ability of small businesses to provide cost effective health insurance. The state employees’ health insurance plan and self-insured (ERISA) plans were exempted, making the financial impact on small businesses even greater. The business vote was against the legislation.	SB 3046SB 3046 was amended in the House to include language from HB 722 and HB 354 which previously passed in the session. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 1122This legislation restricts cities and counties from imposing regulations on farmers who are already regulated by state agencies. This is an important step to prevent overregulation by local governments. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	SB 2570This legislation prohibits local governments from adopting regulations, fees or taxes on the use, disposition or sale of a bag, cup, bottle or other packaging designed for transporting, consuming or protecting merchandise, food or beverages. This is an important step to prevent more regulation and taxation by local governments. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	SB 2479This legislation lowers the investment amount needed to qualify for a fee-in-lieu agreement from $100 million to $60 million. It allows the local governing authorities to enter into these agreements with existing industries in their area that are looking to expand. This legislation is an important step towards giving communities more leverage in recruiting companies to their areas and helping their existing companies grow. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 957This would have created a new per-student public school funding formula designed to improve the way Mississippi funds K-12 education. An educated workforce is vital to the long-term health of Mississippi’s economy. Considering the budget realities facing the state, ensuring that taxpayer funds are spent effectively is important to the business community. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 1649This is the omnibus bond bill which included $45M for improvements to the state-owned shipyard in Pascagoula and $50M for the Local System Bridge Program. This legislation is important to support the largest private employer in the state as well as to maintain critical infrastructure. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	SB 2097This legislation allows for a "free port warehouse" tax exemption to apply to property that is consigned to a licensed free port warehouse for storage pending transit. The granting of this exemption is at the sole discretion of the local governing authority. This change recognizes the critical nature of just-in-time supply chains and helps incentivize more development of warehousing infrastructure. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	SB 2418This legislation increases the axle tolerance allowed for vehicles operating under a harvest permit and certain vehicles loading and unloading at a state port. It increases the tolerance allowed on each axle from 5% to 10%, which will allow greater flexibility in the transport of forest products to manufacturing facilities. It also allows manufacturers to continue to use their harvest permit to transport products from a holding facility to the processing plant. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	SB 2473SB 2473 makes business/landlord-friendly changes to the Residential Landlord Tenant statutes. It protects the landlord’s rights to collect late fees as well as rent and allows the landlord to evict for any event for which the lease provides eviction as a remedy. Changes were made to speed up the eviction proceeding and allows for the termination of a lease in fourteen days rather than thirty days. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 1476This legislation would have ensured that real estate brokers who are lawfully responsible for overseeing licensed salespersons have had ample opportunity to gain the experience that is necessary to oversee, train, and guide their agents. HB 1476 sought to ensure security for consumers, brokers and everyone involved in a real estate transaction. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 1238This legislation tried to limit lawsuits against entities that are regulated under the consumer protection act, thus preventing tremendous legal expense placed on businesses that impact economic growth and jobs. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	SB 2295SB 2295 provides regulatory predictability and clarifies governing jurisdiction by making clear that the Mississippi Public Service Commission has exclusive original jurisdiction over utility rate disputes, including those brought by the Attorney General. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	SB 2836This bill defines the state’s Medicaid services and reimbursement rates. This is critical for physicians and other healthcare providers as Medicaid reimbursement is a driver of economic output in Mississippi. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 722This would have created a 35% diversion of use tax to be divided between cities, counties and the MS Development Authority for road and bridge maintenance. This legislation was an attempt to address the infrastructure needs of MS. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 354This legislation would have allowed for any growth of the general fund over 2% (up to $100M) to be dedicated to road and bridge repair/maintenance. This legislation was an attempt to address the infrastructure needs of MS. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 1488This legislation authorized funds to be used by the Mississippi Development Authority to incentivize companies creating new jobs and making corporate investments in the state. Incentives include grants and loans designed to meet the infrastructure needs of new and expanding businesses, workforce training programs, small and minority-owned business assistance programs, and statutory tax incentives. The business vote was in support of this legislation.
Grade	Office Holder	Party	District	HB 1198This legislation would have required private insurance plans to cover specific health benefits. The costs associated with the mandate would ultimately result in increased premiums. This would impact the ability of small businesses to provide cost effective health insurance. The state employees’ health insurance plan and self-insured (ERISA) plans were exempted, making the financial impact on small businesses even greater. The business vote was against the legislation.	SB 3046SB 3046 was amended in the House to include language from HB 722 and HB 354 which previously passed in the session. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 1122This legislation restricts cities and counties from imposing regulations on farmers who are already regulated by state agencies. This is an important step to prevent overregulation by local governments. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	SB 2570This legislation prohibits local governments from adopting regulations, fees or taxes on the use, disposition or sale of a bag, cup, bottle or other packaging designed for transporting, consuming or protecting merchandise, food or beverages. This is an important step to prevent more regulation and taxation by local governments. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	SB 2479This legislation lowers the investment amount needed to qualify for a fee-in-lieu agreement from $100 million to $60 million. It allows the local governing authorities to enter into these agreements with existing industries in their area that are looking to expand. This legislation is an important step towards giving communities more leverage in recruiting companies to their areas and helping their existing companies grow. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 957This would have created a new per-student public school funding formula designed to improve the way Mississippi funds K-12 education. An educated workforce is vital to the long-term health of Mississippi’s economy. Considering the budget realities facing the state, ensuring that taxpayer funds are spent effectively is important to the business community. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 1649This is the omnibus bond bill which included $45M for improvements to the state-owned shipyard in Pascagoula and $50M for the Local System Bridge Program. This legislation is important to support the largest private employer in the state as well as to maintain critical infrastructure. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	SB 2097This legislation allows for a "free port warehouse" tax exemption to apply to property that is consigned to a licensed free port warehouse for storage pending transit. The granting of this exemption is at the sole discretion of the local governing authority. This change recognizes the critical nature of just-in-time supply chains and helps incentivize more development of warehousing infrastructure. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	SB 2418This legislation increases the axle tolerance allowed for vehicles operating under a harvest permit and certain vehicles loading and unloading at a state port. It increases the tolerance allowed on each axle from 5% to 10%, which will allow greater flexibility in the transport of forest products to manufacturing facilities. It also allows manufacturers to continue to use their harvest permit to transport products from a holding facility to the processing plant. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	SB 2473SB 2473 makes business/landlord-friendly changes to the Residential Landlord Tenant statutes. It protects the landlord’s rights to collect late fees as well as rent and allows the landlord to evict for any event for which the lease provides eviction as a remedy. Changes were made to speed up the eviction proceeding and allows for the termination of a lease in fourteen days rather than thirty days. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 1476This legislation would have ensured that real estate brokers who are lawfully responsible for overseeing licensed salespersons have had ample opportunity to gain the experience that is necessary to oversee, train, and guide their agents. HB 1476 sought to ensure security for consumers, brokers and everyone involved in a real estate transaction. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 1238This legislation tried to limit lawsuits against entities that are regulated under the consumer protection act, thus preventing tremendous legal expense placed on businesses that impact economic growth and jobs. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	SB 2295SB 2295 provides regulatory predictability and clarifies governing jurisdiction by making clear that the Mississippi Public Service Commission has exclusive original jurisdiction over utility rate disputes, including those brought by the Attorney General. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	SB 2836This bill defines the state’s Medicaid services and reimbursement rates. This is critical for physicians and other healthcare providers as Medicaid reimbursement is a driver of economic output in Mississippi. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 722This would have created a 35% diversion of use tax to be divided between cities, counties and the MS Development Authority for road and bridge maintenance. This legislation was an attempt to address the infrastructure needs of MS. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 354This legislation would have allowed for any growth of the general fund over 2% (up to $100M) to be dedicated to road and bridge repair/maintenance. This legislation was an attempt to address the infrastructure needs of MS. The business vote was in support of this legislation.	HB 1488This legislation authorized funds to be used by the Mississippi Development Authority to incentivize companies creating new jobs and making corporate investments in the state. Incentives include grants and loans designed to meet the infrastructure needs of new and expanding businesses, workforce training programs, small and minority-owned business assistance programs, and statutory tax incentives. The business vote was in support of this legislation.
A	Shane Aguirre	Republican	17
A	William Tracy Arnold	Republican	3
A	Charles Jim Beckett	Republican	23																	NV
A	C. Scott Bounds	Republican	44
A	Randy P. Boyd	Republican	19
A	Charles Busby	Republican	111
A	Larry Byrd	Republican	104
A	Lester Carpenter	Republican	1
A	Gary Chism	Republican	37
A	John Glen Corley	Republican	106
A	Becky Currie	Republican	92	NV
A	Scott DeLano	Republican	117
A	Bill Denny	Republican	64
A	Robert Foster	Republican	28
A	Philip Gunn	Republican	56
A	Jeff Hale	Republican	24
A	Greg Haney	Republican	118				NV
A	Mac Huddleston	Republican	15											EA
A	Bill Kinkade	Republican	52
A	Timmy Ladner	Republican	93
A	Vince Mangold	Republican	53
A	Roun McNeal	Republican	105									EA
A	Nolan Mettetal	Republican	10
A	Sam C. Mims	Republican	97														NV
A	Ken Morgan	Republican	100
A	Bill Pigott	Republican	99
A	Brent Powell	Republican	59											P
A	Rob Roberson	Republican	43
A	Ray Rogers	Republican	61
A	Randy Rushing	Republican	78	NV
A	Donnie Scoggin	Republican	89
A	Jeffrey C. Smith	Republican	39
A	Brad Touchstone	Republican	101
A	Jerry R. Turner	Republican	18
A	Tom Weathersby	Republican	62
A	Jason White	Republican	48
A	Patricia H. Willis	Republican	95							EA			EA				EA
A	Cory Wilson	Republican	73
A	Henry Zuber, III	Republican	113
B	Nick Bain	Democrat	2
B	Mark Baker	Republican	74										NV
B	Shane Barnett	Republican	86												NV
B	Manly Barton	Republican	109
B	Donnie Bell	Republican	21
B	Richard Bennett	Republican	120
B	Chris Brown	Republican	20	NV	EA					NV										NV
B	Angela Cockerham	Democrat	96
B	Carolyn Crawford	Republican	121
B	Dan Eubanks	Republican	25
B	Casey Eure	Republican	116												NV
B	Michael T. Evans	Democrat	45
B	Kevin Ford	Republican	54									NV
B	Andy Gipson	Republican	77											NV
B	Jeffrey S. Guice	Republican	114												EA			EA
B	Ashley Henley	Republican	40
B	Joey Hood	Republican	35	NV
B	Steve Hopkins	Republican	7
B	Kevin Horan	Democrat	34							NV					EA
B	Chris Johnson	Republican	87
B	Steve Massengill	Republican	13
B	Missy McGee	Republican	102
B	Doug McLeod	Republican	107
B	America Chuck Middleton	Democrat	85	P
B	Karl Oliver	Republican	46				NV
B	Randall Patterson	Republican	115																	EA
B	John Read	Republican	112												NV
B	Margaret Rogers	Republican	14																	NV
B	Noah Sanford	Republican	90
B	Greg Snowden	Republican	83
B	Gary V. Staples	Republican	88
B	Jody Steverson	Republican	4
B	Mark Tullos	Republican	79		EA	EA	EA	EA			EA	NV
B	Stacey Wilkes	Republican	108	NV				NV		NV
C	David Baria	Democrat	122									NV
C	Christopher Bell	Democrat	65		P							P
C	Joel Bomgar	Republican	58
C	Cedric Burnett	Democrat	9
C	Credell Calhoun	Democrat	68
C	Dana Criswell	Republican	6
C	Oscar Denton	Democrat	55										P
C	Deborah Butler Dixon	Democrat	63
C	John G. Faulkner	Democrat	5									P				P
C	Debra Gibbs	Democrat	72													P	P
C	Karl Gibbs	Democrat	36
C	D. Stephen Holland	Democrat	16
C	Gregory Holloway	Democrat	76
C	Lataisha Jackson	Democrat	11													P
C	John Thomas "Trey" Lamar	Republican	8										NV		NV
C	Carl Mickens	Democrat	42
C	Omeria Scott	Democrat	80	EA	EA									EA	EA		NV	EA		EA
C	Preston E. Sullivan	Democrat	22
C	Sara R. Thomas	Democrat	31	EA										EA	EA
C	Charles Young	Democrat	82								NV
D	Jeramey D. Anderson	Democrat	110																	P
D	Willie Bailey	Democrat	49
D	Earle S. Banks	Democrat	67									NV					P
D	Edward Blackmon	Democrat	57
D	Alyce G. Clarke	Democrat	69
D	Stephen A. Horne	Republican	81
D	Abe Hudson	Democrat	29
D	Jay Hughes	Democrat	12		EA
D	Robert L. Johnson, III	Democrat	94	NV				NV
D	Kabir Karriem	Democrat	41		P							P
D	Tom Miles	Democrat	75
D	Orlando Paden	Democrat	26							NV
D	Willie J. Perkins	Democrat	32
D	Thomas U. Reynolds	Democrat	33				NV
D	William Shirley	Republican	84					NV
D	Rufus Straughter	Democrat	51					NV								NV
D	Kathy Sykes	Democrat	70
D	Cheikh Taylor	Democrat	38
D	Kenneth Walker	Democrat	27
D	Percy W. Watson	Democrat	103							P								P
D	Sonya Williams-Barnes	Democrat	119		P					NV	NV	NV
F	Bryant W. Clark	Democrat	47		P
F	Jarvis Dortch	Democrat	66
F	Bob Evans	Democrat	91	NV		P	NV						P
F	John W. Hines	Democrat	50	NV			NV						P				P
F	Robert E. Huddleston	Democrat	30		NV		NV
F	Adrienne Wooten	Democrat	71		P												P

Results: 120