Welcome to this year’s edition of our weekly legislative update! Here we will recap a few highlights of the week in my role as State Senator from District 52 and provide updates from the Congressional Campaign as well. Fulfilling my duties as State Senator will be a top priority for me during this campaign. After all, I took an oath to honorably serve my constituents and the Constitution.
“America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle. We as people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the Nation and gentler the face of the world. My friends, we have work to do.”
– President George H.W. Bush
Another Great Legislative Session Begins
We gaveled into this year’s Mississippi Legislative session at 12:00 on Tuesday at the Capitol in Jackson. Just like that we are back in a new legislative session. It got paused briefly due to Lt. Governor Hosemann testing positive for COVID-19, but your Mississippi legislative process will be running on all cylinders this upcoming week. I’m proud and excited to be here doing the job that you have elected me to do!
Welcome Aboard Sam Carter to the Brice Wiggins for Congress Team
We welcomed a new member to our team! Meet Sam Carter of Pearl River County. He is a first-year law student at Mississippi College School of Law and has recently signed on to help with our campaign. We are so happy to have you Sam. I aspire to always be a role model for young people in Mississippi. Investing time into our youth today will help shape our leaders for tomorrow.
Meet Some of Our College-Level State Senate Pages
I also had the opportunity this week to meet some of our Mississippi Senate Senior pages. Senate pages and internships are great ways for students to learn more about the legislative process and serve the people of Mississippi. These are current students at Southern Miss and Mississippi State; from left to right we have John Walters, Sadie Roush, Thomas Pepper, and Kelsi Ford. These young adults are experiencing the legislative session first-hand and loving every bit of it!
As I have said before, it is our job as leaders to inspire the next generation. Those of us currently serving must be role models for our youth. After all, they’re watching and learning NOW and could be our elected officials someday.
New Sergeant-at-Arms Sworn In
It was great getting to meet newly sworn-in Sergeant-At-Arms, Col. Larry Wagner. He is retired from the Mississippi Highway Patrol with a distinguished career and is responsible for order and protection in the Senate. Join me in welcoming him!
The Republican Party is Alive and Strong in Greene County
It was great to meet everyone at the Greene County Republican Club on Thursday night. I appreciated the opportunity. One of my first cases as an Asst. D.A happened in this courtroom. It was great to be back!
Received an 'A' Rating from the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police
I’m proud to have received an ‘A’ rating this week from the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police. As your Congressman, you can count on me to continue an “A” rating in supporting our law enforcement and first responders.
The Week Ahead
State Senate to Vote on Redistricting
Every 10 years after completion of the Census, every state in the nation re-draws its voting districts based on shifts in the population. As a member of the Senate Redistricting committee, we have been working hard for months to develop the new maps. We traveled the state in the late summer and fall, holding hearings to get the public’s input. This week the new plan passed the House and will come to the Senate for consideration.
Teacher Pay Raise
The Senate will likely take up a teacher pay raise bill. Senate Education Chairman Dennis Debar from George County traveled to the state meeting with teachers. The Senate Education Committee, on which I serve, also held hearings on the issue. As the author of Mississippi’s nationally ranked early education program, supporting our teachers is a priority.
Medical Marijuana
The Senate will likely take up the medical marijuana bill that we have been working on since the end of last year’s legislative session. With no less than three committee hearings of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, which I sit on, the issue has been well discussed. As I have discussed, debated and researched the issue for the last year, I have publicly stated I will vote for the bill, even with Governor Reeves’ recent comments. Click HERE to see my interview with Y’all Politics to learn more. Should an amendment come forward to address Governor Reeves’ genuine concern, as I hope there will be, I will vote for that, too. The process has, and is working, to get us a bill that over 70% of the people asked for.
Please stay tuned for future blog posts with updates from the legislative session, District 52, community events, and our Congressional campaign. Our campaign is in full swing and as you know, getting our message out takes funding. If you would like to provide financial support, please click the button below.