We have completed our fourth week on Capitol Hill and most of our work has been in committee to ensure we meet the February 1 reporting deadline. We still managed to make some pretty important decisions on the floor of the House.

The good news is that we passed the Medical Cannabis Act by a vote of 113 to 5. It went to the Governor for his signature. It was a good decision for so many people with chronic illnesses and conditions that leave them in constant pain. I sincerely hope that with the passage of this bill, those who are suffering will find relief.

One of the bills that reached the House floor this week was Bill 1509. The bill would prohibit state and local authorities from imposing a COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

The proposed bill would also prohibit schools, colleges and universities from imposing such mandates and denying services based on vaccination status.

“An employee of any public or private employer who has a sincere religious objection to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine will not be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine,” the bill says.

The president introducing the bill said it would be up to employers to figure out a way to verify the sincerity of those religious beliefs. Under the legislation, the Mississippi National Guard would be included, as it is a state agency.

The bill would allow health care providers to implement safety procedures at their discretion. After much debate, HB 1509 passed the House by a vote of 75-41.

Too many families have suffered the tragic loss of loved ones to fentanyl, a deadly drug found in other drugs they may be addicted to. House Bill 607, or Parker’s Law, would create the crime of illegally delivering a controlled substance that results in death. In the original bill, a person who sells a controlled substance that directly results in the death of the user could be charged with first-degree murder. There was a discussion about the presence of fentanyl in controlled substances causing the deaths. We passed an amendment to remove the term “controlled substance” and use “fentanyl” instead. HB 607 passed the House by a vote of 102 to 7 and was sent to the Senate for consideration.

An interesting debate on the floor last week was HB 169. Mississippi is a state where families love going to games — starting with T-ball and 3-year-old football. (There’s a reason 38 Mississippians were on the courts one day during the 2022 NFL Playoffs.) We enjoy the outdoors, the camaraderie, and watching athletes young and old play their hearts out for their teams. Unfortunately, there are people who always seem to mess up this great family tradition.

When they don’t like a call, they engage in outrageous antics in the stands and sometimes they get so out of control they physically attack an official. House Bill 169 upgraded an attack on a referee or umpire from the current simple assault to an aggravated assault. We debated this issue at length and finally decided to put the bill on the table, subject to appeal. Some amendments may need to be added to this bill, but I for one agree with efforts to protect public servants from being attacked because someone got angry at a call. We will see if this bill passes during the session.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you wish to bring to my attention. We will begin daily action on the ground. and debate starting Feb. 2, you may want to go online to the Legislative Assembly YouTube channel to watch select indoor debates, including those from last week. YouTube channel address is www.youtube.com/c/MississippiLegislature.