[Desk] Legislative Update, Feb. 7
by Adam Lynch
Feb. 7
The Senate had a busy day Wednesday, passing some bills that will likely be stomped down by the House in upcoming weeks.
The Senate passed SB 2617 this morning, a voter I.D. bill almost identical to a voter I.D. bill killed across the hall last year. The bill makes it mandatory for a voter to present a form of identification?with or without a photo?at the polling place in order to cast a vote.
Republicans and some conservative Democrats say the law will prevent identity theft at the polls and reduce voter fraud. Sen. Alice Harden, D-Jackson, says that the bill addresses a problem that isn?t there.
?The problem in Mississippi is actually the opposite,? Harden said. ?In Mississippi, our biggest problem is getting people to vote. This bill really isn?t necessary.?
The Senate passed another set of bills regarding abortion that face bleak prospects in the House, namely SB 2801, SB 2391 and SB 2795. The first bill would force pregnant women seeking an abortion to view a sonogram and to hear the heartbeat of the embryo or fetus before the procedure. SB 2391 second bars abortions to minors who don?t have either parental consent or court permission. SB 2795 would ban abortion outright except in cases of rape or incest or when the life of the pregnant woman is in jeopardy.
House Health Chairman Steve Holland, D-Planterville, was adamant last that he has no intention of taking up or considering abortion bills this session.
Another Senate bill, which could pick up some traction from House Republicans like Rep. Mike Lott, R-Petal, bars government contracts to businesses that hire undocumented workers and makes it mandatory for businesses seeking government contracts to verify the citizen status or legal-alien status of employees. The bill also makes an offending contractor liable for ?any additional costs incurred by the agencies and institutions of the State of Mississippi, or any of its political subdivisions, because of the cancellation.?
A similar bill flopped about on the House floor last week while House Democrats loaded it down with progressive amendments. Eventually, the bill was so heavily amended that even its author, Lott, withdrew his support.
The House moved along with its own agenda Wednesday, passing a bill that would finance a 300-bed regional jail in Hinds County. HB 985 authorizes the Department of Corrections to contract with the board of supervisors to provide for housing, care and control of the facility, and mandates that the facility meet federal, state and American Correctional Association standards. It also increases the $24.90 daily fee MDOC pays to regional facilities to $29.74.
?It?ll be a 300-bed facility. Two-hundred state inmates can be housed there, which will pay for it, and there?ll be 100 beds for county misdemeanants,? said Rep. John Reeves, R-Jackson.
Hinds County Sheriff Malcolm McMillin said he would prefer the regional jail come under his directorship, though language in the bill did not specify the sheriff?s role in running the facility. That issue would likely be addressed during when MDOC comes to agreement with county supervisors on a contract.
The House also pushed out HB 528, which temporarily plugs a $90 million hole in the Medicaid budget. Rep. Dirk Dedeaux, D-Perkinston, said the bill allows the state to slice $45 million off the top of the general fund and skim another $45 million from Katrina federal money to bridge the gap.
The House nodded to the state?s disabled community with a bill allowing state-financed home care nursing. Last year, Holland attempted to pass a bill allowing people eligible for Medicaid to use that money to fund home-care nursing in lieu of more expensive institutional care, but nursing home lobbyists killed the bill with the help of Senate Appropriations Chairman Sen. Jack Gordon, D-Okolona.
Holland reanimated the language of the old bill in an amendment to Medicaid bill HB 528. The amendment would allow Alzheimer?s victims, senior citizens or anybody otherwise handicapped to fund home-care through Medicaid?s Elderly and Disabled Waiver, and the Traumatic Brain Injury/Spinal Cord Injury Waiver, administered by the Department of Rehabilitation Services.
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Comments:
I hope Rep. Holland holds his ground.
You know, there’s probably a column in there somewhere about how, for all my (justified) criticism of Dixiecrats, some “bullshit Democrats” are on a higher moral plane than I am in some ways--because in order to harrow hell, one must first go there.
Holland’s district is relatively conservative, and yet he was the first member of the state legislature to acknowledge HIV-AIDS, the only member of the legislature able to block these idiotic and dangerous abortion laws, and so forth. Who am I, as someone whose career isn’t hurt one bit by radical views, to condemn him for being a pragmatist? If that’s the only way the rights of women and minorities can be protected in this legislature, then God bless him.
I couldn’t do that because of my moral principles, but my moral principles alone aren’t going to protect the lives of women and minorities. As much as these legislators might frustrate us sometimes, we need people like Rep. Holland, and this legislative session is the best case in point I think I’ve ever seen.
Cheers,
TH
Posted by Tom Head on 02/08 at 03:00 PM | #
Politics makes for strange bedfellows, huh?
As much as I abhor abortion, passing meaningless bills like this is a waste of time while SCOTUS allows this “right”. (Skip the arguement, Tom! 
) It’s better not to even bother with it, and save taxpayers some slight amount of time and money.
Posted by on 02/08 at 10:50 PM | #
Well, rights aside, what gets me is that opposing abortion and opposing abortion rights is not exactly the same thing. If one opposes abortion, it seems to me the best way to get rid of it is to make alternatives ubiquitous--condoms and contraception (including emergency contraception), cheap and universally available to anyone who might want them. Opposing abortion rights won’t end abortion; it’ll just change it from a regulated, clinic-based medical industry to an unregulated, drug-based underground industry, as has happened in Latin America (where there are probably many more abortions than there are in this country, but nearly all induced by drugs like the anti-ulcer drug misoprostol, bought off the streets).
Heck, even pennyroyal tea can terminate a pregnancy--and was frequently consumed in ancient Rome for this specific purpose. Nobody can prevent abortions from happening by banning them. Nobody. The pre-Roe standard didn’t, and that was when there were fewer pharmaceutical options available and a far less sophisticated underground prescription drug trade.
Cheers,
TH
Posted by Tom Head on 02/09 at 12:16 AM | #
It won’t make it past the Fifth Circuit, so why bother?
Posted by on 02/09 at 09:35 PM | #
For anyone to imply that we need to be thankful for Steve Holland is akin to saying we should be thankful for Hurricane Katrina or for a nuclear explosion that destroys everything in the state…
That is CLEARLY an uneducated voter or a Holland…
Posted by J Everett Dutschke on 05/03 at 01:49 PM | #
For anyone to imply that we need to be thankful for Steve Holland is akin to saying we should be thankful for Hurricane Katrina or for a nuclear explosion that destroys everything in the state?
That is CLEARLY an uneducated voter or a Holland?
...because? Add some substance...otherwise, what’s the point of the post? Not to defend him either way, but in what way has Steve Holland done damage to the state akin to a nuclear explosion?
Posted by on 05/04 at 12:32 PM | #
I am SOOOOO glad you asked that…
This is such an open door and I will phrase all of these as questions and preface this by asking, “Does it matter to you?”
1-Does it matter to you that he PERSONALLY thought up the scam that STOLE $55 Million dollars from us? Does it matter if your politician is crooked? Or assume he didnt do it on purpose (laughable), assume he simply didnt know… Does it matter to you that he is totally incompetent. Either way he is a POOR steward of your tax dollars!
2-Does it matter to you that he (personally) conducts his business in the way he does. We all know he is wrong about everything, but even if he was right, should a politician punch people, slam doors on a little old lady’s feet, cuss out little old ladies, flip the bird at the Lt Gov and Senators IN the State house, drink like a fish in a place where it is forbidden, cuss like a drunken sailor at the top of his lungs on the House Floor, bully other members and espouse ‘loathing Republicans’...? Should a statesman act this way, even if he is right? Does this matter to you?
3-Does it matter to you that almsot every word from his giant mouth is a lie? I have had him personally LIE to my face, and he lost any chance he ever had (very little) of ever getting MY vote. He LIED to the State of Mississippi when he went around to every news outlet in the state to blame the Governor for the Medicaid Scare from early THIS TERM! This was a bill WRITTEN BY HIM! And AUTHORED BY HIM (and Flaggs). That is just one of many! Doesnt that matter to you?
4-Does it matter to you that everything he ever says is designed to dredge up feelings of fear, hatred or class envy? Rich vs poor… have vs have not… black vs white… Big guy vs little guy… When is this going to stop? Doesnt class warefare get old to you? Does that matter?
5-Does it matter to you that he lacks the courage to even agree with himself? He claims to ‘be a fighter’ when he doesnt even know what he is fighting for. There is seldom EVER an issue he doesnt end up taking BOTH sides on. He lacks courage AND conviction! Does that even matter to you?
I could go on for hours, indeed. But you’ll notice that all of the things I bring up here boil down to the mans very character. Some would say that character matters. I would say character is EVERYTHING. I AM an objectivist Republican… I DO follow the party platform, but above all, I am a CHARACTER VOTER!
Holland needs real-professional help with his mental issues. The only thing he doesnt need is assertiveness training. THIS MAN has something pathologically wrong with him! Does that matter to you?
I was out campaigning door-to-door the other day, and I ran into a guy who said, “Steve’s my friend”. To which I responded, “Yes… I’m sure he is. But I trust that you are smart enough to make the right decision in spite of that. And he will still be your friend when he is just the undertaker.”
He then said, “Well, we all have our faults!”
That is the kind of thinking that worries me. I think you guys (Democrats) will vote for him not IN SPITE of his massive character defect, but BECAUSE OF THEM!
I’ll bet you sat there and as you read each of my questions for you, you were making excuses for him! Would you do that if he was a Republican?
I am starting to realize that Democrats will vote for anybody with a (D) by their name.
If I could show you a video of Holland smoking crack with a hooker, you’d still vote for him! (ie-Marion Barry)
If I could show you pictures of Holland spending state-taxpayer money on his Arkansas boyfriend, youd STILL vote for him (ie-Jim McGreevy, Barney Frank)!
So I know that none of those things matter to you. I know that Democrats dont CARE about character.. I know the answer to all of the questions I asked you was to say, as that guy did to me, “We all have our faults”.
Fact is, you guys (Dems) will vote for ANYBODY. THAT is why I am trying to appeal to the common sense voter. I know I wont get any traction in this campaign talking about character, unfortunately you guys dont care…
So I am going after the voters who have a brain this election. The ones who have often wondered why on earth Holland hasnt had an opponent in 2 decades. The ones who will think for themselves.
It seems that is not the Democrats.
J Everett Dutschke
mississippivoters
Posted by J Everett Dutschke on 05/08 at 03:03 PM | #
You’re all over the map, J. Everett, and that tells me that the experienced Steve Holland is not going to have much trouble beating you in November. Sorry, but that’s the truth. Diss his character if you like--expecting character from politicians is like expecting to get laid at an abstinence rally--but as long as he’s the one saying “hey, everybody, vote for me” and you’re the one saying “hey, y’all obviously don’t have a brain, the rest of you vote for me,” it doesn’t take a genius to figure out how that election contest is going to go.
For a better example of a Republican challenging a Democratic incumbent, look at Cory Wilson’s campaign here in District 66. There’s a guy who is treating potential constituents with respect, wants to represent the entire district, and is making substantive, non-histrionic criticisms of Cecil Brown’s legislative agenda. It’ll be a good race between two good candidates--and, I expect, a close one. If Wilson wins, I’ll be disappointed to see a seat go into the R column but I’ll still feel like I have a representative in the state legislature. The kind of rhetoric you use ensures that Democrats in your district would not have that feeling.
But what am I saying; all of this is academic, because Holland is going to win in a walk. Think I’m wrong? Get back to me on that the day after the election.
Cheers,
TH
Posted by Tom Head on 05/10 at 09:13 PM | #
I actually realize that a character debate would go nowhere… I think common sense will!
I do NOT call the voters stupid, I call Holland stupid. AND a coward, AND a liar. I would never say the voters are stupid, that would be political suicide for me.
In fact, I dont feel that way. Holland hasnt been continually elected because the voters are stupid, Holland has been re-elected because he has not had an opponent!
It is easy to win when you are the only one on the ballot! Wouldn’t you agree?
I am glad you admire a Republican (Wilson) for trying not to ruffle feathers, but let me remind you… I an THE CHALLENGER… therefore I intend TO CHALLENGE… I HOPE to ruffle some feathers…
To make an omelet, you have to break a few eggs.
I am the Challenger! I will NOT go softly into the night!
I will challenge him at every turn, and if I am lose because I am fighting, then so be it. I will still fight! I am the challenger, I will challenge.
I will challenge him on every turn.
I will challenge him on every issue.
I will challenge him because if we keep doing the same thing, we will get the same results!
Elections, in the end, is about quantity (of votes), even if the quantity of my message doesnt get out there, the QUALITY of my message WILL.
Win or Lose, Holland will be damaged goods. But not because of anything I will have done. All I am going to do is force him to spend a lot of money. He is damaged by what he has done to himself.
The day after the election, no matter who wins, he will have done this to himself! And I am (much) enjoying pushing Humpty-Dumpty over the edge.
I’m glad you bring up his experience, Tom…
I also LOVE talking about his EXPERIENCE…
It was his experience that cost us over $55 million… It was his experience that scared 65,000 people over losing their Medicaid… It was his experience that keeps shooting down Voter ID and Immigration enforcement and Pro-life oriented measures.
The Nazi’s were experienced. The guys who ran the Savings & Loans in the 80’s were experienced. The CEOs at Worldcomm, Tyco, Adelphia Cable and Enron were experienced. The guys who built the Titanic were experienced.
I for one refuse to go down with that ship!!!
J Everett Dutschke
mississippivoters.com
Posted by J Everett Dutschke on 05/10 at 10:00 PM | #
If you realize that a character debate is going nowhere, why did you just- oh, never mind.
Have a fun campaign. I know Holland will!
Cheers,
TH
Posted by Tom Head on 05/10 at 10:33 PM | #
The Senate passed another set of bills regarding abortion that face bleak prospects in the House, namely SB 2801, SB 2391 and SB 2795. The first bill would force pregnant women seeking an abortion to view a sonogram and to hear the heartbeat of the embryo or fetus before the procedure. SB 2391 second bars abortions to minors ... best air jordan fusion shoes
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