Rep. Richard Bennett

Maddy summaryThis bill is a House Resolution that formally recognizes and congratulates the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Men's Golf Team for winning the NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship. The resolution highlights the team's achievements, including multiple national titles and individual awards won by players and the head coach. It also acknowledges the team's academic success and directs copies of the resolution to college officials and the press. This is a commemorative measure with no policy changes or funding implications.

Maddy summaryHB 1402 designates a one-mile segment of Mississippi Highway 537 in Yazoo County as the "Colonel Donnell Berry Memorial Highway" to honor Colonel Donnell Berry. The Mississippi Department of Transportation will install and maintain signage along this highway segment. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026. This is a commemorative designation with no policy or funding changes.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial House Resolution (not a bill) honoring Matt McDonnell upon his retirement as Executive Director of the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center after 40 years of service. It recognizes his career at the facility since 1986, including roles as Director of Operations, Assistant Executive Director, and Executive Director, as well as his prior work in event management, public service as an Ocean Springs Alderman, and business ventures. The resolution has no policy impact - it is purely a formal expression of appreciation with no legal effect or direct impact on any individuals or policies.

Maddy summaryHB 1507 would increase the minimum salary for assistant teachers in Mississippi by $4,000, setting a new state minimum. It requires school districts to pay all assistant teachers at least this state minimum salary and prohibits reducing local supplements (district-provided additional payments) below it in years when the state minimum rises. Districts violating this rule would face a funding penalty of twice the amount of the violation. Exceptions to the minimum salary requirement are permitted only if a district experiences a reduction in state or federal funding.

Maddy summaryHB 1508 increases Mississippi's minimum teacher salary scale by $4,000 for all public school teachers starting in the 2026-2027 school year. It directly affects every public school teacher in Mississippi whose salary is set by the state's minimum scale, regardless of experience level or license type. The bill amends the existing salary schedule to add $4,000 to each entry in the "minimum" salary table (e.g., raising the base salary for 0 years' experience from $45,500 to $49,500). This is a concrete policy change to boost base pay for entry-level and lower-experience teachers, with no additional eligibility requirements beyond the state's standard salary structure.

Maddy summaryHB 1509, the "Mississippi PERS Stability Act," would have transferred $500 million from Mississippi's Capital Expense Fund to the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) on July 1, 2026, followed by annual $50 million transfers through July 1, 2036. These funds would directly support state public employees' retirement benefits by strengthening PERS' financial stability. The bill required using General Funds if the Capital Expense Fund lacked sufficient unobligated funds for the annual transfers. The bill was referred to committees but died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment to give Mississippi voters the direct power to propose new laws or amend/repeal existing laws through initiative. It would require initiatives to gather signatures from at least 8% of eligible voters, include fiscal impact disclosures, and undergo legislative review before appearing on ballots. The measure explicitly prohibits initiatives on constitutional amendments, retirement systems, local laws, abortion, or funding appropriations without specified revenue sources. If passed, voters could directly approve or reject initiatives after legislative review, with specific ballot placement rules and a 40% voter turnout threshold for approval. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and has not advanced.

Maddy summaryHB 19 appropriates $597 million from state funds for Mississippi's Department of Health operations during fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). It allocates specific sums to critical programs, including $34 million for the Trauma Care System (covering hospitals in Mississippi and select out-of-state partners), $20 million from the Tobacco Control Fund for cancer programs and school nurse initiatives, and $7 million for targeted health disparity and maternal care programs. The bill also sets strict limits on "Personal Services" funding (salaries and benefits) for 2,083 authorized positions. The legislation passed the legislature but was partially vetoed by the governor on June 19, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 22 allocates $13.55 million from general funds and $28.63 million from special funds to cover the Mississippi Department of Insurance’s expenses for fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026). It specifically restricts $11.21 million of these funds to "Personal Services" (salaries, wages, and fringe benefits for 131 authorized positions), prohibiting their use for promotions or salary increases for current staff. The bill mandates that "Vacancy Funding" ($619,005) can only fill unfilled positions from fiscal year 2025, not raise existing salaries, and requires the department to maintain detailed spending records. This is a routine funding measure affecting the department’s budget execution, not a policy change.

Maddy summaryHB 23 appropriates approximately $8.4 billion in state funds for Mississippi's Medicaid program during fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). It allocates $906 million from the General Fund, $842 million from the Medical Care Fund, and $6.6 billion from special funds to provide medical assistance to eligible residents and cover administrative costs under Mississippi's Medicaid Law. The bill also sets a strict $61.8 million cap on "Personal Services" funding (salaries, wages, and benefits) for Medicaid staff, requiring the agency to stay within this limit without exceeding previous year's appropriations. This funding directly supports Medicaid recipients and ensures the Division of Medicaid can operate within defined budgetary constraints.