Wednesday’s legislative forum at Lion Hills focused on a handful of much-discussed statewide issues — and one local one.
For the second year, the Columbus-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce invited area legislators to meet with members to discuss the year’s legislative session. The delegation included Sen. Angela Turner-Ford (D-West Point), Sen. Chuck Younger, (R-Columbus), Rep. Kabir Karriem (D-Columbus), Rep. Cheikh Taylor (D-Starkville) and Rep. Jeff Smith (R-Columbus).
Gary Chism (R-Columbus), who is recovering from a stroke he suffered in April, did not attend.
The format allowed each legislator two minutes to share what they believed to be the most significant action from this year’s legislative session, which ended in March, before answering pre-selected, anonymous questions submitted by chamber members.
The general consensus of the five legislators was that this year’s session did not accomplish much.
“The best thing we did was come home,” Karriem joked. “We played a lot of defense. We stopped in (Democrats’) opinion, a lot of bad legislation — the education bill, guns in stadiums, things like that. Like everyone, we are trying to do what we can to be progressive. Sometimes leadership makes it difficult to do those things.”
Smith, the Republican chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, acknowledged the session was not as productive as he would have liked.
“We did pass a Medicaid bill,” he said. “That was probably our biggest accomplishment, but some of the most important things, we didn’t pass.”
Of the legislation that did pass, Karriem and Taylor lauded a bill that prevents former prisoners on probation or parole from being sent back to prison if they were unable to pay their fines and fees.
“I think that legislation really deserves a round of applause,” Taylor said. “People will not be going to prison because they are poor. I think that represents a change in our mindset when it comes to prison and incarceration.”
Younger cited a law that stiffens the penalty for dog fighting as an achievement, along with a law that prevents counties from assessing additional environmental fees on farmers.
Smith said a bill that prevented an increase in ad valorem taxes assessed on homes of those older than 65 was a major achievement.
Infrastructure, education
Much of the discussion focused on three issues that have remained unresolved for several years — road/bridge infrastructure, K-12 education and a lottery.
“I was disappointed that we didn’t get anything for infrastructure,” Younger said. “I thought we came up with a good plan in the Senate, but the House didn’t agree. It’s very frustrating that we can’t get together on this.”
Smith said he hopes the infrastructure issue will be resolved through a special session.
“The governor said when we have a transportation bill ready, we’ll have a special session,” he said. “The first thing we have to do is for the lieutenant governor and speaker (of the House) to communicate a little better. They have to come together on a plan they can both support.”
The legislators said funding infrastructure was the big hang-up, offering a range of options — from a state lottery to an increase in the fuel tax to increases in “sin taxes,” primarily on cigarettes.
“It’s going to take more money, for sure,” Younger said. “I’ve always been for a lottery. For other sources, there’s the cigarette tax. In Louisiana, it’s $1.08 per pack. In Arkansas, it’s $1.55. We are at 67.5 cents. I’ve always been for a fuel tax increase, too. We’ve got to have the revenue.”
Karriem said one of the best sources of that revenue was the roll back of the $421 million corporate tax cut the Legislature passed in 2016, which goes into effect in July.
“I think we need to start with that $400-million-plus tax cut that we gave out to corporations,” Karriem said. “That really needs to be looked at.”
Taylor said that while he supported a lottery, he does not believe it will be sufficient to address two major issues — infrastructure and education funding.
“The projections are that a lottery would raised about $80 million,” Taylor said. “That’s $80 million to solve a $2 billion problem. And that’s all for infrastructure. There is no earmark for education where we’re underfunding schools by $200 million.”
Smith, however, objected to raising taxes.
“You’ve got to remember, Republicans are in charge,” he said. “We’re not going to raise taxes. It’s just not going to happen.”
Restaurant sales tax
Smith was the focus of the last question of the day: How can voters count on you to represent their interests when you choose to vote in your own interests?
Although Smith’s role in derailing the county’s 2-percent restaurant sales tax wasn’t included in the question, Smith clearly understood the context.
“The premise of the question is 100-percent wrong,” Smith said. “I’ve been in Jackson for 27 years and I don’t know if I’ve ever voted for my self-interest.”
Smith said his opposition to the tax bill, which would have required all restaurants in the county to collect the tax from its patrons rather than just those with annual revenue of at least $325,000, was to protect some of his constituents.
As a result, the bill died in committee. The tax, which was first approved in the 1980s, ends on July 1. Funds from the tax generate an estimated $2 million annually for tourism and economic development.
“I did it so folks in Caledonia and the county don’t have to pay that tax,” he said. “I don’t know who on God’s green earth could say I did that in my own self-interest. I got 25 calls from people calling me everything but a Christian.”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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