Whether it’s making your own choice to vaccinate your child, knowing what your local lawmakers are doing with campaign dollars, or protecting employers after new gun laws, Lawmakers could be changing the game.
Bills proposed in the Senate could change how government is handling these issues.
Senate Bill 2387 is all about vaccine safety. Somewhat mirroring the bills filed by House Representative Mark Formby for vaccine exemptions under medical, religious, or philosophical beliefs. Senator Angela Hill issued SB 2387.
Hill references the guidelines set in place by the Department of Defense and American Medical Association.
Hill mirrored her bill after policies that the DOD has for military children attending schools on military bases. and currently Mississippi’s own statutes are more restrictive.
“If it’s good enough for the DOD and the AMA why should Mississippian residents not be able to make a choice if it goes against their religious convictions or their philosophical convictions,” said Hill.
The bill also includes medical exemptions.
EXCERPT: “A certificate of exemption from vaccination for medical reasons may be offered on behalf of a child by a duly licensed physician and may be accepted by the local health officer when, in his opinion, such exemption will not cause undue risk to the community.”
SB2387 has been referred to the Public Health and Welfare Committee.
Among the slew of Senate Bill proposals is a Campaign Finance Report bill, SB2085, also filed by Hill that would require county and municipal officials to give the public access to campaign finance reports.
“I think it’s just a transparency issue I mean every county has an administrative office, everyone has a circuit clerk, because the have to be turned in locally to the courthouses, they’re turned into the cities,” said Hill.
Right now, in order to obtain campaign finance reports on local races a request must be filed and a fine for print outs of that report paid by the individual making the request. State and federal reports are free to the public.
EXCERPT: “Candidates for state, state district, and legislative district offices, and every political committee, which makes reportable contributions to or expenditures in support of or in opposition to a candidate for any such office or makes reportable contributions to or expenditures in support of or in opposition to a statewide ballot measure, shall file all reports required under this article with the Office of the Secretary of State.”
“All they have to do is scan that [finance reports] and make the PDF available,” said Hill.
It has been referred to Referred To Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency Committee.
The next deadline for Senate and House Bills to be submitted is Tuesday, Jan. 31st.
