Legislative Update 1

January 21, 2008

Dear Friends,

Throughout my term as state representative, I will post periodic updates of our work in the House. I hope you will find these updates to be a helpful way to track legislative progress in Jackson.

Report for Week Ending January 11, 2008

Members of the House reelected Speaker of the House Billy McCoy and Speaker Pro Tempore J.P. Compretta during the opening week of the session.

Speaker McCoy said the House of Representatives will continue to focus on such priorities as public education, transportation, health care, economic development and public safety in the session ahead.

On Thursday, January 10, I made a motion that we adjourn in memory of Major Michael Green, a Gautier native killed in Afghanistan on January 7. Every member of the House joined this motion.

Report for Week Ending January 18, 2008

The naming of members to House committees, a vote to reduce the length of the 2008 session and the inauguration of Governor Haley Barbour for his second term highlighted week two of the Legislature. We also voted to pass the rules which will govern the House for the next four years, including some limited webcasting of House debates.

We voted to set the calendar of legislation at 103 days, rather than the 125-days called for in Section 36 of the Mississippi Constitution for the first session of a new term. The Senate had passed SCR 502 at 104 days. The Senate concurred with the House’s change to 103 days and now the session will adjourn on Saturday, April 19. It is estimated that cutting 22 days from the session’s length will save taxpayers $300,000 or more this year.

On Tuesday, January 15, we witnessed the inauguration of Governor Haley Barbour. In his remarks, the Governor highlighted the accomplishments of his first term.

During a briefing from the state fiscal experts, we learned there are mixed signs as to how the state is progressing financially. State economists said sales tax collections are on the decline and the subprime lending crisis is hurting our state along with declining home values, slower sales of homes and a rash of foreclosures. On a brighter note for the economy, gaming collections are expected to hit record highs. In order to meet our revenue projections for the current fiscal year, the state’s economy must grow by 2 percent the rest of the year.

On another fiscal note, State Treasurer Tate Reeves said that the state now owes $3.191 billion in total bonded indebtedness, but that the debt has leveled off since 2001. He said the national bond rating firms are pleased with our current debt situation because we mostly issue “net direct general obligation bonds” backed by the full faith and credit of the state. Our debt service consumes 6.7 percent of our total state appropriations, Reeves reported.

On Friday, Speaker McCoy announced committee assignments. My assignments are as follows: Vice-Chairman, Insurance; Education; Judiciary B (criminal laws); Ports, Harbors and Airports; Oil, Gas and other Minerals; and Transportation. I believe these committees represent a perfect compliment to the challenges we face in our district and I am pleased that we will have a place at the table when decisions about these important areas are being made.

If you have any questions or concerns, I invite you to call me on my cell phone at 228-326-7649 or e-mail me. Please feel free to forward this report to folks in our district and let me know if I need to add someone to my list.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Brandon