Rep. John Read

Maddy summaryHB 1764 is a funding bill that allocates $70.2 million for Mississippi's court system operations during fiscal year 2026. It provides specific funding for the Supreme Court ($8.66 million), trial judges ($41.2 million), the Administrative Office of Courts ($45.5 million), the Court of Appeals ($7.19 million), and continuing legal education programs ($172,366). The bill authorizes permanent staffing levels for these entities (e.g., 70 positions for the Supreme Court, 109 for judges) but does not create new laws or policies. This is a routine appropriations measure to cover existing court expenses, not a substantive legislative change.

Maddy summaryHB 1738 appropriates $27,714,782 for the Yellow Creek State Inland Port Authority's operations during fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). The bill authorizes 17 staff positions, allocates $15 million for capital projects, and requires the Authority to maintain detailed financial records comparable to its 2025 reporting. It mandates that Mississippi Industries for the Blind receive procurement preference for goods/equipment when bids are equal, and specifies that funds must comply with state budget laws prohibiting overspending. The funding becomes effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1748 appropriates $5,307,890 from state funds to cover the Mississippi Board of Nursing’s expenses for fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). It authorizes 36 permanent staff positions and allocates $1.56 million specifically to the Office of Nursing Workforce for nursing education programs, $105,000 for the Prescription Monitoring Program, and funds for implementing the Medical Cannabis Act. The bill includes strict spending rules, requiring the Board to stay within budget limits, avoid salary increases without new funding, and maintain detailed financial records. This funding directly supports the Board’s regulatory oversight, nursing workforce development, and program compliance efforts.

Maddy summaryHB 1760 appropriates $31,391,612 for district attorneys' salaries, travel, and office expenses, plus $489,367 for assistant district attorneys, for Mississippi's 2025-2026 fiscal year. It specifically allocates $371,679 to fund two assistant district attorneys and one criminal investigator per prior law. The bill prohibits using funds for taxable meals within a district and requires district attorneys to maintain detailed financial records matching 2025 standards. It also mandates submission of five-year strategic plans as required by state law. This funding directly supports Mississippi's 46 district attorney offices and their staff.

Maddy summaryHB 1769 appropriates $4,547,938 from the State General Fund and $6,353,694 from a special fund (including $2.1 million from the Education Enhancement Fund) to cover the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television's (MAET) expenses for fiscal year 2026. The funding directly supports MAET's operations, including salaries for 78 permanent and 7 temporary staff positions, with strict requirements to maintain current educational broadcast schedules as a priority. Key provisions prohibit using state funds to replace federal funds, restrict personnel spending to new hires (not promotions or salary increases), and mandate detailed accounting comparable to previous years. This is a funding bill, not a policy change, ensuring MAET can continue providing educational TV programming and public service content.

Maddy summaryHB 1730 appropriates $6,631,277 from special funds to cover the State Oil and Gas Board's operating expenses for fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). It directly affects the Oil and Gas Board staff (authorizing 35 permanent positions) and requires strict adherence to budget limits for personnel costs, prohibiting salary increases or promotions without new funding. Key provisions include mandating that funds not exceed prior-year spending unless authorized by the Legislature, ensuring compliance with state personnel rules, and requiring the Board to maintain detailed financial records matching fiscal year 2025 standards. The bill also includes minor provisions favoring Mississippi Industries for the Blind in procurement and restricting fund use to avoid violating federal reporting rules.

Maddy summaryHB 1726 appropriates $17.27 million from the State General Fund and $13.50 million from a special fund to support the Mississippi State Forestry Commission for fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). The bill authorizes 246 permanent and 7 temporary positions, mandates strict budget adherence (including prohibiting salary increases without new funds), and requires the Commission to track performance metrics like forest suppression time (target: 2.8 hours) and acres burned under prescribed burns (target: 15,000 acres). It also directs $200,000 toward the Agriculture Department’s beaver control program and requires all funds to comply with state accounting rules and procurement preferences for Mississippi Industries for the Blind. The Commission must submit detailed budget requests for 2027 based on these performance targets.

Maddy summaryHB 1771 appropriates $1.43 billion from state funds to cover the Mississippi Department of Transportation's (MDT) administrative expenses and core operations for fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). The funds are allocated to specific MDT programs, including $986 million for construction, $265 million for maintenance, and $63 million for administration, with additional transfers of $650,000 to the Department of Agriculture for beaver control and $5 million to the Department of Public Safety for commercial transportation enforcement. The bill restricts personnel spending to filling vacancies (not salary increases or promotions) and requires MDT to track expenses against projected costs, with strict reporting to the legislature. It also mandates detailed accounting records matching fiscal year 2025 standards for all fund usage.

Maddy summaryHB 1772 is an additional budget allocation bill that provides no new funding for most purposes (listed as $0.00 in sections 1-4), but allocates $163,000 from the Abandoned Property Fund to cover expenses for the State Treasurer's Office related to an unclaimed property data match project. It specifically targets the Office of the State Treasurer for this project, while other sections reference potential funding for the Department of Child Protection Services (for out-of-state placements, operational costs, and temporary placements) and the Department of Health (for water litigation legal fees) with no actual funds specified. The bill does not create new programs or policies but adjusts existing budget allocations for fiscal year 2025. This is a procedural budget measure, not a substantive legislative change.

Maddy summaryHB 1761 is a funding bill that allocates state money to cover the operational costs of Mississippi's legislature for fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026). It provides funds for legislators' salaries, daily expense allowances, and contingency budgets for both the House ($9.3 million) and Senate ($6.7 million), as well as for key committees like the Joint Legislative Budget Committee ($5.3 million) and the Reapportionment Committee ($324,000). The bill also specifies that $15,000 from the House and $10,000 from the Senate must cover expenses for the Mississippi Commission on Interstate Cooperation, prohibits unapproved out-of-state travel by legislators, and requires preference for Mississippi Industries for the Blind in purchasing decisions. This bill affects only legislative staff, members, and committees, with no direct impact on citizens or policy outcomes.