State Lawmakers Look To Tackle Several Key Issues During The 2019 Legislative Session

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI)- The 2019 legislative session is officially underway.

The Mississippi State Capitol Building is where state lawmakers will spend majority of their time over the next few months gathering together trying to help move the Magnolia State forward.

“It’s always an opportunity to come down here and pass some good legislation, but the most important thing is to represent our constituency back home,” said District 41 State Representative Kabir Karriem.

“I hope that we’re going to do things that is not as controversial as maybe we’ve had in the past,” said District 37 State Representative Gary Chism. “This is the first year in the last four years that we’ve had extra money.”

Lawmakers expressed having that extra money is a good thing.

Chism said he hopes his fellow colleagues will come up with a plan to put some of those extra dollars towards improving roads and bridges throughout state.

“During the special session we dealt with some bridges and roads, I think we’re going to be doing some more of those with some of this extra money I speak of,” said Chism. “Clay County didn’t get anything out of the special session. Clay County asked for a particular road in front of Peco, and so we hope to be able to do that.”

Funding for roads and bridges is also at the forefront for Karriem.

However, the District 41 Representative said he’d also like to see lawmakers pass a bill granting pay raises for teachers and state employees, as well passing a bill to implement the 2% restaurant tax in Columbus and Lowndes County.

“I think it’s going to pass,” said Karriem. “I think we’re going to be back on board this year, and hopefully we can make it retroactive where once it’s passed it can start back immediately.”

On the Senate side of things, District 16 Senator Angela Turner-Ford said she hopes lawmakers can do something to help with voting rights and criminal justice reform.

“I know that we have a super majority party that’s in control of the Senate and the same in the house, but then at the same time we have individuals I believe that are willing to listen to alternate ideas and consider those,” said Ford. “If we do that I think that we can all come up with something that’s beneficial for all of us.”

This marks the fifth legislative session for District 17 Senator Charles Younger, who hopes state leaders will be able to find a way to strengthen broadband service all throughout the state.

“We’re trying to get a bill that will allow the cooperatives such as 4-County and other cooperatives like 4-County that can make their own decision with their board members on whether they want to run the fiber optic cables for broadband,” said Younger.

This year’s session will mark the last one for Governor Phil Bryant as his term winds down.

The session wraps up in April.