2022 Legislator Business & Jobs Report Card


Barbara Blackmon


Democrat

District: 21

BIPEC Grade 2022:  

   B   
Bill Issue Business Vote Legislator Voted Link to Vote
HB 531 This legislation reduces the personal income tax for Mississippi taxpayers. This is a 4-year plan that eliminates the 4% personal income tax bracket completely and reduces the 5% bracket to 4%. The legislation also includes intent language that states that by 2026 the Legislature shall revisit the personal income tax and assess if further reduction is possible. The legislation does not increase any taxes. The business vote was for the legislation.
YEA
YEA
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SB 2159 The Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive Act will put the most commonly used business tax credits into one easy-to-use incentive. Offering a more flexible incentive structure would provide real value to current Mississippi companies and help attract new industries. Streamlining incentives will maximize the value of potential credits while giving Mississippi a unique competitive advantage. The business vote was for the legislation.
YEA
YEA
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SB 2773 This legislation allows for certain income tax credits to any company that transfers or relocates its national or regional headquarters to the state of Mississippi. The business vote was for the legislation.
YEA
YEA
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HB 1388 This legislation takes a sweeping approach to improving career pathways in the K-12 education system through four main components: – Expanding a successful career coach model in communities across the state. – Alignment of career and technical education courses across different levels of education. – Development of a single prioritized list of industry certifications to be utilized by the state – Allows Accelerate MS to lead a comprehensive return on investment analysis of all CTE programs. The business vote was for the legislation.
YEA
YEA
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SB 2273 This legislation allows employers to monitor and report probation and parole requirements for individuals employed full-time. An employer can opt to submit timesheets, proof of employment, and required drug tests to the probation or parole supervisors in place of in-person or electronic meetings that can disrupt an employee’s work schedule. The business vote was for the legislation.
YEA
YEA
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SB 2723 This legislation will provide Accelerate MS with the necessary tools to carry out its mission. The most impactful aspect of this legislation is providing much more flexibility for utilizing MS Works Funds. It gives Accelerate the flexibility to access those funds for a wider variety of projects for both new and existing industries. It also requires coordination between other agencies that receive federal workforce funds and Accelerate to ensure those programs align with our statewide framework. Also included is a technical correction in the calculation of Unemployment Insurance premiums that will prevent everyone’s general experience rating from increasing due to the impacts on the Fund due to COVID-19. This was a critical fix that will prevent businesses from paying higher UI premiums. The business vote was for the legislation.
YEA
YEA
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SB 2097 This legislation establishes an option for real estate licensees to use an administrative hearing officer in disciplinary hearings. It also allows licensees to continue to practice while they appeal a judgment from the Mississippi Real Estate Commission. This precedent could have a considerable impact on all boards and commissions, allowing licensees to continue to practice their profession while they appeal a decision by their profession’s governing body. The business vote was for the legislation.
YEA
YEA
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HB 1691 This legislation authorizes certain pass-through entities to pay an entity-level income tax in lieu of the partners/owners paying income tax on those amounts at the individual level, thereby freeing up other state and local taxes for the limited federal itemized deduction (the SALT Cap). An “electing pass-through entity” is defined as a partnership, S Corporation, or similar pass-through entity having made an election pursuant to the new code section (not yet codified or designated). The business vote was for the legislation.
YEA
YEA
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SB 2831 In September 2021, the Mississippi Department of Revenue filed a proposed amendment to its sales tax regulations on Computer Equipment, Software, and Services. The amendment would have made any software located on an out-of-state server a taxable event when assessed via the internet. The amendment would have also expanded the definition of computer software to include cloud computing, software as a service, platform as a service, and infrastructure as a service. The proposed amendment was rescinded. This legislation requires a study committee to report to the Legislature no later than October 1, 2022, the committee’s findings and recommendations for which products and services should be taxable and how they should be taxed. The business vote was for the legislation.
YEA
YEA
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HB 1360 This legislation prohibits the growing national trend of credit unions acquiring commercial banks. Under federal law, many credit unions are limited or restricted from offering business services and are required to focus on consumer products and services. Across the country, areas that have experienced credit union acquisitions of banks have seen closures of bank branches and a reduction in commercial business lending activity. HB 1360 ensures that Mississippi businesses would not see a reduction in commercial and financial services. The business vote was for the legislation.
YEA
YEA
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SB 2474 This legislation would have given electric companies owned by municipalities the same authority as electric power associations. Municipally owned electric companies would be allowed to create government-owned broadband companies and offer internet service to customers. The municipally-owned internet companies would be in direct competition with the private internet service providers that they have some regulatory control over. When a private industry competes against the government, the private sector and consumers lose. The business vote was against the legislation.
NAY
YEA
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