OVERVIEW OF 2002 REGULAR SESSION

                            Snowden named ‘Legislator of the Year’

"Grueling" 2002 Regular Session Ends

Amidst legislators' desks festooned with fresh tomato plants, Lauderdale County's own Rep. Charles Young (D-Meridian) offered a traditional prayer of hope and thanksgiving on the final day of the 2002 Regular Session, Friday, April 5. In recent years, two traditions have come to mark the long-awaited day the House of Representatives finally adjourns sine die: First, each House member receives tomato plants to take home for post-session gardening, courtesy of Mississippi State University, and, second, the senior "Gentleman from Lauderdale" mounts the dais to lead the assemblage in one final prayer. As Magnolia State lawmakers are wont to say, "when you see the tomatoes and you hear Charles Young praying, you know it's time to go home." House members in fact had been longing to go home for many days prior to adjournment, as the 2002 session indeed proved to be the grueling ordeal forecast by most observers when the session first began on January 8. The unprecedented budget challenges confronting the Legislature were overcome only though imposing dramatic (and in some ways drastic) cuts upon many state programs and services. The Medicaid crisis was averted, in the short run, only through raiding the state's heretofore sacrosanct Tobacco Trust Fund so as to pump millions more of new monies into that massive welfare program, and yet the long-term prognosis for Medicaid remains uncertain, with another huge budget deficit projected for FY 2003. And although not the subject of any cut, revenue woes nevertheless meant that the Legislature's perennial number one priority - Education - was funded with increases that amounted to millions less than originally had been hoped and expected. Shameless gerrymandering also is an ignoble legacy of the 2002 legislative session. Although the Federal courts in March thankfully quashed the ill-advised "tornado plan" for congressional redistricting that earlier had received the blessing of the House (though not of the Senate), no judicial relief was forthcoming to forestall the horrendous partisan gerrymandering of the 122 new House districts that first will be used for legislative elections in November, 2003. With almost 800 split precincts state-wide, the new misshapen and deformed House districts promise unnecessary expense and inordinate confusion for voters, candidates, and elections officials. Click on this link to see an image of the new House and Senate districts for 2003. Representative Greg Snowden (R-Meridian) was the principal author of two bills that were passed during the 2002 session and signed into law by Governor Musgrove. By virtue of HB 767, trusts in Mississippi (like those in most other states) now will be able to acquire and hold title to real property in the name of the trust itself, rather than having to hold title in the actual names of the trustees of the trust, as is traditional but increasingly cumbersome in modern legal and real estate practice. With the passage of another Snowden bill, HB 1434, law enforcement officers now will receive the same protection as school teachers from harassment arrest warrants - a circuit judge will have to make a finding of probable cause before any warrant may be issued against a sworn law enforcement officer for conduct occurring within the performance of his or her official duties. Click here to review all bills introduced by Rep. Snowden during the 2002 session. Click here to access weekly summaries of the work of the House of Representatives during the 2002 session. Some of the highlights of the session were: Funding was provided as promised for the next scheduled annual step in a five-year plan to bring the average Mississippi public school teacher's salary up to the Southeastern average. This salary increase amounts to an average of six percent (6.0%). The FY 2003 budget also provides generally modest salary increases for university and two-year college personnel and most other state employees - the first such raises in several years for many. The Legislature endorsed a settlement agreement to finally end the 25-year-old Ayers university desegregation lawsuit, thereby allowing the Legislature and the IHL Board finally to re-assume full operational responsibility for higher education in the state Mississippi's highway transportation system was enhanced through the passage of "Vision 21," a new program of greater public accountability that will provide an annual review of highway construction needs and set forth a prioritized plan of action. A constitutional amendment was approved (subject to ratification by the voters) to change the appointment process for members of the IHL Board, based on the existing three Supreme Court districts. In addition, the terms of Board members are revised so as to phase in an eventual nine year term instead of the current twelve years. Legislation was enacted to enhance medical screening of newborn infants as specified by Board of Health, and pro-life legislation was passed to prohibit the use of public funds for all abortions except in very limited circumstances. The purchase of Deer Island was authorized, thereby preserving this Gulf Coast landmark and hopefully enhancing long-term public recreational opportunities. Domestic abuse laws were strengthened so as to protect families and to better guide law enforcement officers. Penalties were enhanced for persons convicted of manufacturing illegal drugs in the company of children. The fifth round of the very popular Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Program was funded, and the Legislature also continued its funding of the Deficient Bridge Replacement Program. The list of authorized specialty car tags was expanded, including tags for NASCAR, "Choose Life," Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and the Mississippi State Guard. The labeling of catfish products as to their origins was clarified so as to aid consumers and to protect Mississippi catfish producers from the misleading advertisement of foreign catfish-like products. A non-traditional program to license teachers and help alleviate the state's critical teacher shortage was approved. Despite the revenue problems, the Legislature managed to increase somewhat the funding for university student financial aid programs. Adopted several elections "reform" measures, including the establishment of a Statewide Centralized Voter Registry System to assist registrars in maintaining accurate voter rolls; passed a bill to assist in determining a voter's intent in marking different types of ballots; also a bill requiring the Secretary of State to make recommendations to ensure that every legally cast vote is counted. Federal funding is expected to be forthcoming to pay for the implementation of several of these reforms, as new Federal legislation has been enacted in the wake of problems exposed (especially in Florida) in the aftermath of the 2000 presidential election. Adopted legislation enhancing several economic development programs, including a bill to assist small population cities and counties in competing for industry, and also a bill to enhance agriculture enterprises and to encourage alternative energy possibilities. The Legislature strengthened DUI laws and addressed highway safety concerns by lowering the legal blood alcohol content threshold to .08 percent instead of the current .10 percent. Approved bonding for new construction projects and needed repair and renovation at state-owned properties including university and two-year college campuses, various state agency facilities, and some state parks sites. The Legislature has mandated the presence of a United States flag in each public school classroom, and has required the Pledge of Allegiance to be recited at start of each school day. Finally, the Legislature adopted the Teddy Bear as the state's official toy, commemorating the historical incident involving President Theodore Roosevelt's hunting trip to the Mississippi Delta in 1902 that inspired the "original" Teddy Bear. Click here for Weekly Updates  Greg Snowden, State Representative District 83 (Lauderdale County)

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