Rep. Carolyn Crawford

Maddy summaryHB 1183 would have provided annual salary supplements to Mississippi special education teachers based on their teaching setting. Teachers working in itinerant settings (traveling between schools) would have received $4,000, while those in self-contained classrooms (dedicated special needs classrooms) would have received $8,000. The bill amended Mississippi's teacher salary schedule to add these specific supplements for qualifying educators. However, the bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 1185 would require Mississippi's Medicaid program to seek a federal waiver to cover an additional pair of eyeglasses within a five-year period for adults aged 21 or older whose vision has worsened (as certified by a doctor or optometrist). Currently, Medicaid typically covers only one pair of glasses per period, so this change would expand coverage for qualifying vision changes. The bill specifies that coverage would apply only when a medical professional determines new glasses are needed due to a documented change in vision, not for routine replacements. This policy change would directly affect Medicaid beneficiaries with progressive vision needs who currently lack coverage for additional glasses.

Maddy summaryHB 1190 increases the minimum salary for all licensed teachers in Mississippi by $4,000 annually, effective for the 2026-2027 school year and beyond. It also mandates a $1,000 annual salary supplement for special education teachers and raises salaries for assistant teachers under Section 37-21-7. The bill directly affects public school teachers, special education staff, and assistant teachers by changing their base pay scales and adding targeted supplements. These changes are implemented through specific salary tables in the Mississippi Code, adjusting pay based on experience and license type.

Maddy summaryHB 1187 would require Mississippi school districts that permit corporal punishment to adopt a policy enabling parents or legal guardians to actively choose (opt in) for their child to be included in the district's corporal punishment program. Parents must submit a written request each school year to include their child, and they can withdraw permission in writing at any time. If a parent does not opt in, schools cannot use corporal punishment on that student, and staff would not be protected from legal liability for doing so. The bill does not change the existing ban on corporal punishment for students with disabilities, which remains prohibited under current law.

Maddy summaryHB 1181, which died in committee on February 3, 2026, was a proposed bill requiring Mississippi’s Attorney General to investigate pharmaceutical companies’ promotion and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. It would have mandated an inquiry into whether companies made false claims about vaccine effectiveness in preventing infection, symptoms, or transmission - specifically targeting violations of state laws against deceptive advertising, fraud, and racketeering. The bill required annual status reports to the legislature until 2027, excluding confidential details. Since it died in committee, no investigation was ever conducted, and the bill never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 1191 would have allowed municipal police in Mississippi towns with populations under 15,000 (excluding Pass Christian) to use radar speed detection equipment on federally designated highways within their city limits. Currently, only larger municipalities (over 15,000 people) or specific cases (like county seats with colleges) could legally use such radar. The bill specifically amended Section 63-3-519 of Mississippi law to expand this authority to smaller communities. However, the bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 1250 would make absences related to a student's disability (as defined by federal disability laws) automatically excused under Mississippi's school attendance law. It directly affects students with disabilities, their parents or guardians, and schools, by exempting families from prosecution for absences tied to the student's disability. The bill requires the State Board of Education to create rules for schools to address chronic absenteeism, particularly in districts with high absence rates. This change aims to align attendance policies with disability protections without adding new requirements for schools beyond existing intervention frameworks.

Maddy summaryHB 1251 clarifies that only current, valid Mississippi-issued driver's licenses - not out-of-state licenses - are acceptable for voter identification in Mississippi. It directly affects voters who hold driver's licenses from other states but not those with other approved IDs like Mississippi state ID cards, passports, military IDs, or tribal cards. The bill maintains existing provisions allowing affidavit ballots for voters without required ID and requires them to present acceptable ID within five days. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 1247 would have required the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP) to provide a permanent 10% discount on state park admission fees to senior citizens aged 65 and older. This discount would apply to all state parks and be in addition to any existing promotional discounts offered at specific parks. The bill aimed to make state park access more affordable for seniors without altering the department's fee-setting authority. However, the bill died in committee in February 2026 and did not become law.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HC 33) proposes amending Section 273 of the Mississippi Constitution to update signature requirements for citizen-initiated constitutional amendments. It specifically revises the rule that no single congressional district can contribute more than one-fourth of the required signatures, aligning this limit with Mississippi's current four congressional districts. This change would directly affect citizens and groups seeking to place constitutional amendment proposals on the ballot via petition. The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and did not advance further.