Dead or alive? See status of key bills at Mississippi Legislature’s first major deadline
Here’s a glance at the status of selected bills in the Mississippi Legislature. Tuesday was the first major deadline of the 2014 session. It was the final day for House and Senate committees to consider general bills filed in their own chamber. Surviving bills move to the full House or Senate for more debate.
____
ALIVE
TEACHER PAY RAISE: House Bill 504 would give raises to teachers up to $1,500 in the first two years and raises projected at $2,750 in the third and fourth years, depending on state revenue growth. Teachers with less than five years’ of experience would get the raises automatically, while those with more than five years of experience would have to meet three of 22 requirements.
PRISONS — House Bill 585 and Senate Bill 2784 propose several changes intended to make the prison system more efficient and less expensive. Among other things, they say anyone convicted of a violent offense would be required to serve at least 50 percent of a sentence, and anyone convicted of a nonviolent offense would have to serve at least 25 percent. The bills would give judges more flexibility to give alternative sentences, such as ordering treatment for drug users. They would, for the first time in Mississippi law, specify which crimes are classified as violent, for sentencing purposes.
SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION — Bills pending in the Senate would merge school districts in Greenwood and Leflore County, Winona and Montgomery County and Claiborne and Jefferson counties. Bills the House would merge districts in Durant and Holmes County, and Clarksdale and Coahoma County.
SUPERINTENDENTS AND SCHOOL BOARDS — House Bill 825 would require the roughly 60 districts with an elected superintendent to hold a referendum on switching to an appointed superintendent, while Senate Bill 2166 would require the change unless enough people signed a petition to force a referendum. House Bill 442 would require all school board members be elected starting in 2016.
PUBLIC RECORDS — House Bill 928 attempts to cap the cost of fulfilling public records requests.
ANY WILLING PROVIDER — House Bill 553 says health insurers would have to accept any medical provider who meets contract terms into their network.
INSURANCE INFO — House Bill 753 would require insurers to disclose how much they collect in premiums and how much they pay in claims in each ZIP code.
HURRICANE INSURANCE — House Bill 756 would regulate when insurers can charge homeowners a hurricane deductible.
Gulflive
2/4/14
Magnolia Tribune
