Legislative Update 17

May 18, 2008

Dear Friends,

Last week the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Project hosted by Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast helped build, repair or remodel twenty homes in our district. The former president, first lady and thousands of volunteers who attacked this project despite inclement weather deserve our gratitude. It is a great comfort to see volunteers continuing their efforts along the Gulf Coast nearly three years after Hurricane Katrina.

This week, my church, First Presbyterian Church of Pascagoula, under the leadership of Robert Hardy, will begin to organize a group that will be ready to move in and help out when the next disaster strikes. I would encourage all of you to find a way to extend the good will generated by the thousands of volunteers who have helped our area since the storm.

Governor Barbour Sets Special Session for May 21

Governor Haley Barbour said Friday that he will call lawmakers back to the State Capitol for a Special Session beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Among the issues included in the initial call are:

  • Reauthorization of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (“MDES”);
  • The Metal Theft Bill (HB 1136) which the Governor vetoed on May 12;
  • A bill which would prohibit the expansion of gaming beyond counties that either currently allow gaming or have approved it in the past; and
  • A bill calling for technical adjustments to the current law allowing toll roads.

As many of you know, controversy began to arise regarding MDES when the PEER Committee, the legislature’s non-partisan watchdog committee, released a report indicating that government agencies spent $14 million in 2006 to promote services through the use of no-bid contracts for companies with close political connections to the Governor.

While there is no question that the Mississippi Department of Employment Security performs important work on behalf of our state, the principals of fiscal responsibility and good government require that we as lawmakers ensure that government services are performed in a way that is competitive and open to the public. It is my hope that during the Special Session, we will be able to agree on a product that reauthorizes MDES and adds a measure of accountability to the advertising process. While these efforts have failed in the past, perhaps an impending holiday weekend will provide the necessary motivation.

Please feel free to contact me regarding this or any other issue that will be under consideration during the Special Session.

Governor Vetoes Bill Allowing Additional Assistant District Attorneys

On May 12, the Governor vetoed a bill that would have provided funding to allow the Coastal counties to maintain the assistant district attorneys added after Hurricane Katrina.

Like other counties along the Coast, Jackson County’s District Attorney’s office has faced a significant spike in cases in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This is why I co-sponsored a bill that would have allowed District Attorney Tony Lawrence and others to keep the assistants they added following the storm. It was my hope that our efforts to pare the bill down during conference would be enough to gain the Governor’s approval. Unfortunately, District Attorney Lawrence and other District Attorneys will have to turn to their counties for help.

I would like to thank Mr. Lawrence and the members of his staff for the hard work they do on behalf of our county and also for the work they put in on this bill during the legislative session.

Other bills that were recently vetoed include:

  • HB 1240, the “Children’s Product Safety Act”;
  • HB 1089, a bill that would have extended the Deer Hunting season if baiting was not allowed;
  • HB 240, a bill that would have revised the time period when a candidate could appeal election results to a Circuit Court;
  • HB 424, a bill that would have revised the time for run-off elections in county commissioner races; and
  • HB 674, a bill that would have revised the distribution of oil severance taxes between the state and counties.

Ports, Harbors and Airports Committee Tours Ports

Last Monday and Tuesday, members of the Ports, Harbors and Airports Committee, Chaired by Representative Billy Broomfield, toured the Port of Gulfport, the Port of Bienville, the Port of Pascagoula, Northrop Grumman and the Gulfport Airport.

These tours served as an important reminder of the value of our local ports and industries. For members of the committee who live outside of the Gulf Coast, these tours provided powerful visual evidence of the work being done along the Gulf Coast.

I would encourage each of you to drop by the Port of Pascagoula office to learn about the way our port is helping to fuel the local and state economy.

Emerging Political Leaders Program

Last week I was honored to be selected to participate in the Emerging Leaders Program coming up in July at the University of Virginia. I will be joining 49 other legislators from 35 states. Nominations for the program were sought from presiding officers in the 50 state legislatures.

The Emerging Leaders Program is a collaborative effort of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business Administration and is made possible by a major grant from UST, Inc., with additional funding from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Altria, Ameriprise Financial, Comcast, General Electric, Golden Living, IMS Health, Intuit, and WalMart. During the program, a variety of presentations from leading political leaders will be combined with cutting-edge leadership concepts from world-renowned faculty.

It is my hope that participating in this program will help me to become a more effective representative.

How to Contact Me

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 at bjones@house.ms.gov. 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.

I will also be posting my updates and House related news on my campaign website at www.electbrandonjones.com.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Brandon