2017 Legislator Business & Jobs Report Card

voted for business/jobs position
voted against business/jobs position
NV = Not Voting or Absent
LoA = Leave of Absence
P = Present

* Points were not deducted for those voting Present (P) or for those with a Leave of Absence (LoA). Points were deducted for those Not Voting or Absent (NV).

Representatives / Senators

Grade	Office Holder	Party	District▼	HB 1426Asbestos Litigation Transparency Legislation will require plaintiffs in asbestos suits to file their trust claims before proceeding to trial. This simple change will discourage fraud and prevent abusive "double dipping." The business vote was in support of the legislation.	HB 1426 Amendment 1This was an attempt to weaken the Asbestos Litigation Transparency Legislation by adding to the intent and findings of the legislature in section 2 with slanted and unverifiable information. The business vote was in opposition to the amendment.	SB 2689Will prohibit personal use of campaign money. It prohibits personal spending of campaign money including: mortgage, rent or utility payments for any residential property of a candidate or family member, clothing, automobiles, travel expenses not related to a campaign or holding office, admission to entertainment events and non-documented loans. The business vote was in support of the legislation.	SB 3033Allocated $45 million in bonds for capital improvements and upgrades to the state-owned shipyard occupied by Ingalls Shipbuilding, the largest private employer in the state. Other initiatives in legislation include: The Mississippi Site Development Grant Program to improving the marketability of publicly owned industrial property for industrial economic development purposes ($2 Million); MDA's ACE Fund to provide economic development grants ($10 Million); and the Mississippi Business Investment Act to provide local government's funding for infrastructure upgrades ($7 Million). The business vote was in support of the legislation.	SB 2939Would have allowed county boards of supervisors and municipal authorities to enter into fee-in-lieu agreements for ad valorem taxes for projects totaling over $60 million. The current threshold is $100 million, which prohibits local authorities from offering a very useful incentive to potential projects that could have a significant impact on local economies. The business vote was in support of the legislation.	HB 1340Reduces the allowable annual fluctuation, up or down, in the value of farm land from 10% to 4%. The valuation of agricultural land is determined by a complex formula that considers soil types, productivity and other criteria set forth in the land appraisal manual compiled by the DOR. The business vote was in support of the legislation.	HB 1596Increases by $50 million the statewide total income tax inventory credit for small businesses. The business vote was in support of the legislation.	SB 3021Exempts from ad valorem taxation vessels that are used for the exploration for, or production of, oil, gas and other minerals while in the possession of the manufacturer or builder. It also exempts from sales tax the sales of electricity, current, power, steam, coal, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas or other fuels engaged in the conversion of natural sand into proppants used in oil and gas exploration. The business vote was in support of the legislation.	HB 686This legislation allows a taxpayer three years to request a revision of their state income tax return. The business vote was in support of the legislation.	HB 1601Allows a first-time home buyer to deduct up to $2,500 from state adjusted gross income annually and for couples to set aside $5,000 annually from their state adjusted gross income for the purpose of creating a savings account for a home purchase down payment or other related expenses. The business vote was in support of the legislation.	SB 2445This legislation will reduce unnecessary and repetitive paperwork imposed on financial institutions when responding to DOR-issued tax levies by creating a new, voluntary “data match” system designed to make the process or responding to levies more efficient.
Grade	Office Holder	Party	District	HB 1426Asbestos Litigation Transparency Legislation will require plaintiffs in asbestos suits to file their trust claims before proceeding to trial. This simple change will discourage fraud and prevent abusive "double dipping." The business vote was in support of the legislation.	HB 1426 Amendment 1This was an attempt to weaken the Asbestos Litigation Transparency Legislation by adding to the intent and findings of the legislature in section 2 with slanted and unverifiable information. The business vote was in opposition to the amendment.	SB 2689Will prohibit personal use of campaign money. It prohibits personal spending of campaign money including: mortgage, rent or utility payments for any residential property of a candidate or family member, clothing, automobiles, travel expenses not related to a campaign or holding office, admission to entertainment events and non-documented loans. The business vote was in support of the legislation.	SB 3033Allocated $45 million in bonds for capital improvements and upgrades to the state-owned shipyard occupied by Ingalls Shipbuilding, the largest private employer in the state. Other initiatives in legislation include: The Mississippi Site Development Grant Program to improving the marketability of publicly owned industrial property for industrial economic development purposes ($2 Million); MDA's ACE Fund to provide economic development grants ($10 Million); and the Mississippi Business Investment Act to provide local government's funding for infrastructure upgrades ($7 Million). The business vote was in support of the legislation.	SB 2939Would have allowed county boards of supervisors and municipal authorities to enter into fee-in-lieu agreements for ad valorem taxes for projects totaling over $60 million. The current threshold is $100 million, which prohibits local authorities from offering a very useful incentive to potential projects that could have a significant impact on local economies. The business vote was in support of the legislation.	HB 1340Reduces the allowable annual fluctuation, up or down, in the value of farm land from 10% to 4%. The valuation of agricultural land is determined by a complex formula that considers soil types, productivity and other criteria set forth in the land appraisal manual compiled by the DOR. The business vote was in support of the legislation.	HB 1596Increases by $50 million the statewide total income tax inventory credit for small businesses. The business vote was in support of the legislation.	SB 3021Exempts from ad valorem taxation vessels that are used for the exploration for, or production of, oil, gas and other minerals while in the possession of the manufacturer or builder. It also exempts from sales tax the sales of electricity, current, power, steam, coal, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas or other fuels engaged in the conversion of natural sand into proppants used in oil and gas exploration. The business vote was in support of the legislation.	HB 686This legislation allows a taxpayer three years to request a revision of their state income tax return. The business vote was in support of the legislation.	HB 1601Allows a first-time home buyer to deduct up to $2,500 from state adjusted gross income annually and for couples to set aside $5,000 annually from their state adjusted gross income for the purpose of creating a savings account for a home purchase down payment or other related expenses. The business vote was in support of the legislation.	SB 2445This legislation will reduce unnecessary and repetitive paperwork imposed on financial institutions when responding to DOR-issued tax levies by creating a new, voluntary “data match” system designed to make the process or responding to levies more efficient.
A	Chris Massey	Republican	1
A	David Parker	Republican	2
A	Nickey Browning	Republican	3
A	Rita Potts Parks	Republican	4
A	J. P. Wilemon	Democrat	5
B	Chad McMahan	Republican	6		NV
D	Hob Bryan	Democrat	7
D	Russell Jolly	Democrat	8		NV
A	Gray Tollison	Republican	9
F	Bill Stone	Democrat	10
D	Robert L. Jackson	Democrat	11	NV
D	Derrick T. Simmons	Democrat	12
D	Willie Simmons	Democrat	13
A	Lydia Graves Chassaniol	Republican	14
A	Gary Jackson	Republican	15
F	Angela Turner-Ford	Democrat	16
A	Charles Younger	Republican	17
A	Jenifer B. Branning	Republican	18							NV			NV
A	Kevin Blackwell	Republican	19
A	Josh Harkins	Republican	20
F	Barbara Blackmon	Democrat	21
A	Eugene S. Clarke	Republican	22
A	W. Briggs Hopson, III	Republican	23
F	David Jordan	Democrat	24	NV	NV
A	J. Walter Michel	Republican	25
D	John Horhn	Democrat	26
D	Hillman Terome Frazier	Democrat	27
F	Sollie B. Norwood	Democrat	28
D	David Blount	Democrat	29		NV
A	Dean Kirby	Republican	30
A	Terry C. Burton	Republican	31
B	Sampson Jackson, II	Democrat	32
A	Videt Carmichael	Republican	33
C	Juan Barnett	Democrat	34
A	Chris Caughman	Republican	35
D	Albert Butler	Democrat	36
A	Bob M. Dearing	Democrat	37
D	Tammy Witherspoon	Democrat	38							P
A	Sally Doty	Republican	39
D	Angela Burks Hill	Republican	40				P	P
A	Joey Fillingane	Republican	41
D	Chris McDaniel	Republican	42				P	P
B	Dennis DeBar	Republican	43
A	John A. Polk	Republican	44
A	Billy Hudson	Republican	45
A	Philip Moran	Republican	46
C	Joseph M. Seymour	Republican	47
F	Deborah Jeanne Dawkins	Democrat	48						P
A	Sean J. Tindell	Republican	49
B	Tommy A. Gollott	Republican	50	NV
D	Michael Watson	Republican	51				P
A	Brice Wiggins	Republican	52

Results: 52