Legislative Round-up

Time to look at a couple of bills that are still alive that are generating interest in this years Mississippi Legislature.

• SB 2622 - a bill to strengthen the penalty on "home invasion" to 10 years from 3 years. What is happening here is they are creating a different standard from simple burglary and what can be considered home invasion. This bill has already passed the Senate and has been sent to the House.
• HB 1013 - a bill to increase the cigarette tax in Mississippi from 18 cents per pack to $1.18 per pack. The bill passed the House 74-42 and has been sent to the Senate
• SB 2468 - voter i.d. bill that would require the presenting of an i.d. at the polling place, This bill has passed the Senate and has been sent to the House.
• HB 609 - a bill to freeze hiring by state agency in this budget restricted year. The bill has passed the House and been submitted to the Senate.
  
• SB 2793 - a bill that will allow utility companies to raise rates before construction actually begins on building certain types of new plants. This bill has passed the Senate 38-11 and there is a companion version working its way through the House, HB 1274.
• HB 1089 - a bill that will allow hunters to hunt deer over bait. This bill has passed the House and been submitted to the Senate
  
• HB 342 - a bill to allow municipalities to seize drug houses is still alive but has not passed either chamber as of yet.
  
• HB 1148 - was an interesting bill that died in committee last week. The bill would have expanded the authority of the A.G. to ask a judge to approve a wire-tap in cases beyond just drug cases (which is the current law). Hood is alleging partisanship as the reason this bill has been killed.