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NEWS 5.22.08 - Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant was pleased by the Senate’s quick passage of six crucial pieces of legislation. This comes during the Governor’s call of a special session that began Wednesday. This legislation included reauthorizing the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, an unemployment benefits increase and an effort to stop and deter copper theft. Lt. Governor Bryant stated, “We came here to do the people’s work that the Governor has asked us to consider. We intended to give our membership a vote on each proposal.”
S.B. 2001 Reauthorized the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. S.B. 2002 Limits the expansion of casinos to those counties where gaming is currently legal. S.B. 2006 Legislation that places restrictions on the resale of copper products by increasing regulatory requirements of the metal recycling industry. S.B. 2011 Increased the maximum amount of the weekly benefit paid to individuals under the Mississippi Unemployment Security Law. Currently individuals are paid $210. Under this legislation weekly unemployment will increase to a total of $225 in 2008 and $235 in 2009. S.B. 2004 Comprehensive Voter ID reform. H.B. 3 is currently headed to the Governor for final approval. H.B. 3 Legislation which will extend the contract period that a private company may operate a toll road and increase penalties for toll violators. Such legislation would be used for construction of the Airport Parkway between downtown Jackson and the Jackson Airport in Rankin County. The Mississippi Senate is to reconvene Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. at which time we will proceed with the technical amendments bill to Medicaid. We are hopeful an agreement may be at hand.
You may view the Senate proceedings at www.ltgovbryant.com.
Phil Bryant was sworn-in as Mississippi’s Lieutenant Governor on January 10, 2008 after capturing 59% of the vote in the November election. He started his career in public service as a Hinds County Deputy Sheriff and was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives from District 59 in Rankin County in 1992 and re-elected in 1995. Bryant was appointed State Auditor by the late Governor Kirk Fordice and re-elected overwhelmingly in 1999 and without opposition in 2003. ### |
