2023 Legislator Business & Jobs Report Card

voted for business/jobs position
voted against business/jobs position
NV = Not Voting
EA = Excused Absence
P = Present

* Points were not deducted for those voting Present (P) or for those with a Excused Absence (EA). Points were deducted for those Not Voting.


Senators / Representatives

4 Year Avg 2023 Grade Office Holder Party District
SB 2449In September 2021, the Mississippi Department of Revenue filed a proposed amendment to its sales tax regulations on Computer Equipment, Software, and Services. The amendment would have created a new tax on any software located on an out-of-state server when assessed via the internet. The amendment would have also expanded the definition of computer software to include cloud computing, software as a service, platform as a service, and infrastructure as a service. This legislation prevents a new tax by stating, "Computer software maintained on a server outside the state and accessible for use only via the Internet is not a taxable retail sale." The business vote was for the legislation.
SB 2559Senate Bill 2559 Deletes the repeal date from the section of law that regulates the harvest permits and the fees for the permits. Legislation passed in 2021 increased the harvest permit tolerance from 5 percent to 10 percent effective July 1, 2023. SB2559 also creates the Strategic Multi-Modal Investment Fund. The $30 million to fund rail, port and airport projects is in another bill. SB2559 also creates the Strategic Multi-Modal Investment Advisory Board. The Mississippi Department of Transportation is to develop rules for the fund. The business vote was for the legislation.
HB 1733House Bill 1733 creates full expensing for capital investments in research, experimentation, machinery, and equipment. Full expensing enables businesses to immediately deduct the entire cost of capital expenditures from taxable income rather than spreading those deductions over years or decades. The business vote was for the legislation.
HB 401HB 401 helps Mississippi consumers that rely on automobile dealerships for their essential transportation needs. It also assures fair and equal rules for Mississippi businesses with contracts with automotive manufacturers for independent car and truck dealerships. The franchised automobile industry in Mississippi creates over 18,000 jobs with a $613 million payroll. The business vote was for the legislation.
SB 2218This legislation addresses issues restaurants have faced from third-party delivery companies' unauthorized use of their menus, logos, and other intellectual property. SB 2218 states a written contractual agreement between the restaurant and third-party delivery company must be signed. It also says that a restaurant can take legal action against a third-party delivery company for the unauthorized use of its logo, menu, or other intellectual property. Ultimately, this leads to lost sales and decreased profits for restaurants. The business vote was for the legislation.
HB 1003HB 1003 officially opens Mississippi to the safety, mobility, and economic benefits of autonomous vehicles. The legislation states that an autonomous vehicle can be operated in the state with a human driver on board. This legislation allows for the technology, safety, and supply chain benefits of autonomous vehicles. The business vote was for the legislation.
HB 549Currently, the Department of Revenue interprets the law so that if you manufacture a piece of specialty equipment for an out-of-state customer, and they come to Mississippi to inspect or get trained on that equipment, then take it home with them, that is a taxable event. Even though that piece of equipment is never intended to be registered or used in the state, the fact that the customer takes ownership of it in the state means it is subject to sales tax. House Bill 549 clarifies that no matter how a piece of equipment is delivered to an out-of-state customer, tax is only due to the state in which it is used. The business vote was for the legislation. The business vote was for the legislation.
HB 588House Bill 588 extends the repeal date on the Mississippi Comprehensive Workforce Training and Education Consolidation Act (and conforming code sections) until 2026. The legislation was set to repeal on July 1, 2023. The Act was passed in 2004 to "reduce fragmentation and duplication of services" across different workforce programs. In addition to establishing the Office of Workforce Development and State Workforce Development Investment Board, it includes numerous provisions related to promoting workforce development across the state.
SB 3021Senate Bill 3021 provides a $12 million appropriation to expand the existing career coaching program by an estimated 50 additional coaches across the state. The increase in funding from $8 Million to $12 Million for fiscal year 2024 will allow AccelerateMS to greatly increase the geographic coverage of career coaches in Mississippi with the addition of more than 50 new coaches to the state. The business vote was for the legislation.
SB 2341This bill will ensure that the MS Public Service Commission maintains regulatory authority over transmission infrastructure in Mississippi by requiring anyone who builds transmission lines in the certificated area of an electric utility that is in a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) to be subject to state regulatory oversight instead of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in Washington, DC.
HB 1668House Bill 1668 revised the method by which a partnership, S corporation, or other similar pass-through entity may elect to become an "electing pass-through entity." This is applicable for state income tax purposes, provided that any additional income tax credits generated by the electing pass-through entity shall be passed through to the owners on a pro-rata basis. It also states that any excess credit may be carried forward as an overpayment or refunded. The business vote was for the legislation.
HB 1060This bill allows non-utilities in MS to sell electricity on a metered basis for the purpose of charging electric vehicles. It also requires that the electricity to be re-sold can only be provided by the incumbent utility. This change in state law will help expand EV charging infrastructure in the state by eliminating one of the most significant deterrents to private investment by EV charger providers. The business vote was for the legislation.
4 Year Avg Grade 2023 Office Holder Party District
SB 2449In September 2021, the Mississippi Department of Revenue filed a proposed amendment to its sales tax regulations on Computer Equipment, Software, and Services. The amendment would have created a new tax on any software located on an out-of-state server when assessed via the internet. The amendment would have also expanded the definition of computer software to include cloud computing, software as a service, platform as a service, and infrastructure as a service. This legislation prevents a new tax by stating, "Computer software maintained on a server outside the state and accessible for use only via the Internet is not a taxable retail sale." The business vote was for the legislation.
SB 2559Senate Bill 2559 Deletes the repeal date from the section of law that regulates the harvest permits and the fees for the permits. Legislation passed in 2021 increased the harvest permit tolerance from 5 percent to 10 percent effective July 1, 2023. SB2559 also creates the Strategic Multi-Modal Investment Fund. The $30 million to fund rail, port and airport projects is in another bill. SB2559 also creates the Strategic Multi-Modal Investment Advisory Board. The Mississippi Department of Transportation is to develop rules for the fund. The business vote was for the legislation.
HB 1733House Bill 1733 creates full expensing for capital investments in research, experimentation, machinery, and equipment. Full expensing enables businesses to immediately deduct the entire cost of capital expenditures from taxable income rather than spreading those deductions over years or decades. The business vote was for the legislation.
HB 401HB 401 helps Mississippi consumers that rely on automobile dealerships for their essential transportation needs. It also assures fair and equal rules for Mississippi businesses with contracts with automotive manufacturers for independent car and truck dealerships. The franchised automobile industry in Mississippi creates over 18,000 jobs with a $613 million payroll. The business vote was for the legislation.
SB 2218This legislation addresses issues restaurants have faced from third-party delivery companies' unauthorized use of their menus, logos, and other intellectual property. SB 2218 states a written contractual agreement between the restaurant and third-party delivery company must be signed. It also says that a restaurant can take legal action against a third-party delivery company for the unauthorized use of its logo, menu, or other intellectual property. Ultimately, this leads to lost sales and decreased profits for restaurants. The business vote was for the legislation.
HB 1003HB 1003 officially opens Mississippi to the safety, mobility, and economic benefits of autonomous vehicles. The legislation states that an autonomous vehicle can be operated in the state with a human driver on board. This legislation allows for the technology, safety, and supply chain benefits of autonomous vehicles. The business vote was for the legislation.
HB 549Currently, the Department of Revenue interprets the law so that if you manufacture a piece of specialty equipment for an out-of-state customer, and they come to Mississippi to inspect or get trained on that equipment, then take it home with them, that is a taxable event. Even though that piece of equipment is never intended to be registered or used in the state, the fact that the customer takes ownership of it in the state means it is subject to sales tax. House Bill 549 clarifies that no matter how a piece of equipment is delivered to an out-of-state customer, tax is only due to the state in which it is used. The business vote was for the legislation. The business vote was for the legislation.
HB 588House Bill 588 extends the repeal date on the Mississippi Comprehensive Workforce Training and Education Consolidation Act (and conforming code sections) until 2026. The legislation was set to repeal on July 1, 2023. The Act was passed in 2004 to "reduce fragmentation and duplication of services" across different workforce programs. In addition to establishing the Office of Workforce Development and State Workforce Development Investment Board, it includes numerous provisions related to promoting workforce development across the state.
SB 3021Senate Bill 3021 provides a $12 million appropriation to expand the existing career coaching program by an estimated 50 additional coaches across the state. The increase in funding from $8 Million to $12 Million for fiscal year 2024 will allow AccelerateMS to greatly increase the geographic coverage of career coaches in Mississippi with the addition of more than 50 new coaches to the state. The business vote was for the legislation.
SB 2341This bill will ensure that the MS Public Service Commission maintains regulatory authority over transmission infrastructure in Mississippi by requiring anyone who builds transmission lines in the certificated area of an electric utility that is in a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) to be subject to state regulatory oversight instead of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in Washington, DC.
HB 1668House Bill 1668 revised the method by which a partnership, S corporation, or other similar pass-through entity may elect to become an "electing pass-through entity." This is applicable for state income tax purposes, provided that any additional income tax credits generated by the electing pass-through entity shall be passed through to the owners on a pro-rata basis. It also states that any excess credit may be carried forward as an overpayment or refunded. The business vote was for the legislation.
HB 1060This bill allows non-utilities in MS to sell electricity on a metered basis for the purpose of charging electric vehicles. It also requires that the electricity to be re-sold can only be provided by the incumbent utility. This change in state law will help expand EV charging infrastructure in the state by eliminating one of the most significant deterrents to private investment by EV charger providers. The business vote was for the legislation.
A
A
Juan Barnett Dem 34
A
B
Jason Barrett Rep 39
A
A
Kevin Blackwell Rep 19
A
A
Nicole Boyd Rep 9
A
A
Jenifer B. Branning Rep 18
A
A
Joel R. Carter Rep 49
A
A
Chris Caughman Rep 35
A
A
Lydia Graves Chassaniol Rep 14
A
A
Dennis DeBar Rep 43
A
A
Scott DeLano Rep 50
A
B
Jeremy England Rep 51
A
A
Joey Fillingane Rep 41
A
A
Josh Harkins Rep 20
A
A
W. Briggs Hopson Rep 23
A
A
Chris Johnson Rep 45
A
A
Dean Kirby Rep 30
A
A
Tyler McCaughn Rep 31
P
A
A
Michael McLendon Rep 1
A
A
Chad McMahan Rep 6
A
A
J. Walter Michel Rep 25
A
A
Philip Moran Rep 46
A
A
David Parker Rep 2
A
A
Rita Potts Parks Rep 4
EA
A
A
John A. Polk Rep 44
A
A
Daniel H. Sparks Rep 5
A
A
Benjamin Suber Rep 8
A
A
Mike Thompson Rep 48
A
A
Neil S. Whaley Rep 10
A
A
Brice Wiggins Rep 52
A
A
Bart Williams Rep 15
A
A
Charles Younger Rep 17
B
A
David Blount Dem 29
B
A
Kelvin Butler Dem 38
B
C
Kathy L. Chism Rep 3
B
A
Rod Hickman Dem 32
B
C
Angela Burks Hill Rep 40
NV
B
A
John Horhn Dem 26
P
B
B
Robert L. Jackson Dem 11
B
B
Chris McDaniel Rep 42
P
B
B
Joseph M. Seymour Rep 47
B
A
Sarita Simmons Dem 13
B
B
Jeff Tate Rep 33
EA
P
B
A
Joseph Thomas Dem 22
C
C
Barbara Blackmon Dem 21
C
B
Hob Bryan Dem 7
C
B
Albert Butler Dem 36
C
B
Hillman Terome Frazier Dem 27
C
B
David Jordan Dem 24
C
A
Sollie B. Norwood Dem 28
C
A
Derrick T. Simmons Dem 12
C
B
Melanie Sojourner Rep 37
P
P
C
B
Angela Turner-Ford Dem 16
Results: 52