Today is committee deadline day for the Mississippi Legislature, and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn joined today’s episode of The JT Show to talk about two bills to watch for—House Bill 1510 and House Bill 1559.
House Bill 1510, or the Military Family Freedom Act, would make it easier for members of the military or their family to attain occupational licenses. As of now, the bill has been double referred by the Senate.
“I did communicate with the Lieutenant Governor’s office this morning and told them that I felt like it was a really good bill,” Gunn said. “We are trying to keep that bill alive.”
House Bill 1559 would supply services and support to victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. Gunn described the bill as a sequel to House Bill 571, which provided law enforcement with the tools needed to catch and prosecute human traffickers.
“We feel very strongly about that particular bill,” Gunn explained. “I call it the second half, which is where we have rescued these young ladies. Now, we need to set them out to restore them, to rehabilitate them, give them the physical and emotional support that they need, and get them back into a productive life.”
House Bill 1559 has been sent to the Senate and is awaiting a verdict, and the speaker does not see any reason why the bill would be dismissed.
“I don’t know a single reason why you would be opposed to this,” he said. “If they have a problem with the bill, they can certainly amend it, change it, send it back over here for discussion. That’s the way this process works, but the bill does not need to die.”
The House went into session today at 10:00 a.m., and the Senate went in at 2:00 p.m.
