Each January, the Mississippi Legislature convenes in Jackson and collectively loses its mind for a few months. The session ends in April – and not a nanosecond too soon – giving Mississippians a couple of months to contemplate the impending carnage that will ensue on July 1, when the new laws go into effect.
As a body, the men and women we send to Jackson have a singular genius for doing things that should not be done while not doing the things that should be done.
Yes, if the Legislature had the power of divine healing, it would turn the lame man blind.
They really outdid themselves this year, though.
Here were the issues our legislators faced going into the session, what they did (or didn’t do) about them and what should have been done (or not done) instead.
Issue: A shrinking state economy, the only state with a negative GDP growth and a projected $100-million-plus revenue shortfall this year.
What they did: “Solved” problem by reducing already-shrinking revenues by another $600 million (roughly 1/10th of the state’s annual budget) with tax cuts, including a $260-million cut for businesses.
What they could have done: The $260 million cut came from eliminating the franchise tax, which is levied only to Mississippi-based companies. That’s wrong, of course, but the better of approach would have been not to eliminate the tax, but make it equitable by distributing the tax burden among all businesses. Bear in mind, the state has the 13th lowest corporate tax rate in the nation.
What they should not have done: The tax cuts on individuals is small – the average household will be about $150 – which isn’t likely to offset the huge cuts in state agencies we rely on. Look for some draconian cuts to services. Worth it? Extremely doubtful.
Issue: Jobs. Mississippi has the second-highest unemployment rate in the nation and the highest percentage of minimum-wage jobs in the country as well. Recruiting new industry would not only provide jobs, but broaden the tax base our state so desperately needs.
What they did: Passed a “religious freedom” bill that says it’s OK to discriminate against LGBT people. The backlash was immediate. Last week, 75 CEOs from major companies wrote to the governor to request the law be repealed. It won’t happen. You can cross Mississippi off an awful lot of lists as a result.
What they should have done: Passed legislation to remove the Confederate symbol from our state flag. Again, failing to do this is another self-inflicted blow to our state’s image.
Issue: There are still a few places where Mississippians cannot carry guns.
What they did (and should not have done): Passed a law that allows churches to arm themselves. Seriously. This is a law only Jim Jones could love. If we had passed this law 35 years ago, the Peoples Temple could have moved to Mississippi instead of Guyana.
Issue: A state highway system that has been chronically neglected. The state’s chamber of commerce estimates the state will need to spend $3.75 billion over the next 10 years just to get our roads/bridges in decent condition.
What they did: Nothing, which is essentially legislative malpractice. You could argue that this may have been the single greatest challenge our state faces in the short-term, yet the Legislature did not appropriate a penny toward addressing this problem.
What they should have done: Provide the necessary money through taxes, most likely a combination of taxes. Nobody likes tax increases, but everybody likes decent roads and benefits from them. Our legislators should have acted like responsible adults, doing the unpopular for the sake of what is prudent. Parents do this all the time because, well, they are grown-ups.
Issue: A corrupt campaign finance system that allows candidates to use donations for their personal use. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are collected by politicians that won’t face an election in another three years.
What they did: Nothing. The House rejected a bill (by a voice vote so they wouldn’t be exposed as self-serving frauds) to clean up the mess.
What they should have done: Pass the law and restore, at least, the illusion of integrity.
Issue: Incredible as it may seen, domestic abuse is not a grounds for divorce in Mississippi.
What they did: Rejected a bill to add this as grounds for divorce. Apparently, slapping the missus around a bit when she gets all “mouthy” without worrying about her filing for divorce protects the sanctity of marriage.
What they should have done: When you view the laws passed this session as a whole, we believe on the opening day of the session, they should have wished each other well and returned home and stayed there.
Had they done so, our state would be much better off.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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