Rep. Celeste Hurst

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates May 15, 2025, as "Mississippi Limitless Day" to honor children in foster care and adoption, and recognize the work of the nonprofit Limitless. It encourages Mississippi citizens to observe the day with activities raising awareness about foster care and adoption needs. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but symbolically acknowledges Limitless's role in supporting foster youth through emotional skills programs and community partnerships. It directly affects foster care/adoptive children and the Limitless organization by promoting statewide recognition. The resolution died in committee on April 3, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1449 increases staffing in Mississippi's Twentieth Circuit Court District by amending two statutes. It raises the authorized number of assistant district attorneys from 11 to 13 (under Section 25-31-5) and adds one criminal investigator position, increasing the total to three (under Section 25-31-10). The bill directly affects the Twentieth Circuit Court District's prosecution office, which covers counties including Hinds, Rankin, and Madison. These changes would allow the district attorney's office to hire additional staff for criminal prosecutions, subject to available funding. The bill was referred to committee but died there on March 4, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1585 would require city or town elections for mayor and council members in Mississippi to hold a runoff election three weeks after the initial vote if no candidate receives more than half the votes. The runoff would feature the top two candidates from the first election, or in case of a tie for second place, the top candidate plus the next highest vote-getter. If the runoff results in a tie, the winner would be decided by a coin toss or random draw. This bill applies to all municipal elections across Mississippi and aims to ensure elected officials have majority support.

Maddy summaryHB 1656, the STRONG Act, would provide tax benefits and health care support for Mississippi National Guard members and their families. It increases income tax exemptions for Guard and Reserve members, creates a $250 annual credit against motor vehicle taxes for service members and their spouses, and establishes a program to reimburse National Guard members for Tricare Reserve Select health insurance premiums. The Adjutant General would administer the program and report its progress to the legislature. The bill passed the legislature in February 2025 but died on calendar before becoming law.

Maddy summaryHB 1853 authorizes Mississippi to issue general obligation bonds to fund the construction, equipment, and upgrades of an infectious disease testing lab at the Mississippi Blood Services Building in Flowood. The funds would specifically support the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency in establishing this lab to handle infectious disease testing for organ recovery. The bill outlines bond issuance procedures, repayment terms using state funds, and specifies that proceeds must be used solely for the lab's construction and related costs. This is a funding mechanism, not direct appropriations, and the bill died in committee before becoming law.

Maddy summaryHB 1581 proposed changing the date when Mississippi's presidential electors meet to cast votes for president and vice president. It aimed to revise the existing law requiring electors to convene on the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December. The bill died in committee in February 2025 and did not become law. This procedural change would have affected Mississippi's electoral process for selecting presidential electors, but no concrete policy shift occurred.

Maddy summaryThis bill would have prevented Mississippi Medicaid from seeking repayment for benefits from ABLE savings accounts established under state law. It specifically protects funds in these accounts - designed for people with disabilities to save without losing eligibility for benefits - from being used to cover Medicaid costs after the account holder's death. The bill amended state laws to ensure ABLE accounts are exempt from estate recovery rules that typically allow Medicaid to reclaim funds from a beneficiary's estate. This change would directly affect Mississippi residents with disabilities who use ABLE accounts to save for future needs while maintaining eligibility for public assistance.

Maddy summaryHB 1579 limits cash contributions and expenditures in Mississippi elections. It caps cash donations to candidates or political committees at $50 per election and bans cash contributions between committees. The bill also requires written receipts for cash expenditures over $100 and mandates detailed disclosure of cash contributions (including contributor name, address, and occupation). These changes revise existing campaign finance laws (specifically sections 23-15-801 et seq. of the Mississippi Code) to strengthen transparency around cash transactions. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not advance further.

Maddy summaryHB 1580 amends Mississippi law to allow removal from office for being indicted for a crime, expanding existing grounds for removal that previously required conviction. The bill adds "being indicted for a crime" as a specific reason under Section 25-5-5, directly affecting all state and local elected officials (including county, district, and municipal officers). Key mechanisms include requiring the Attorney General to file a removal motion in court after an indictment, with a hearing process to determine removal - similar to current procedures for convicted officials. This change would trigger removal proceedings earlier in the legal process, before trial or conviction. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and was not enacted.

Maddy summaryHB 1504, the "Freedom of Speech Protection Act," creates a legal process to quickly dismiss lawsuits targeting speech on public issues. It requires courts to rule on a "special motion to dismiss" within 60 days if a case involves protected speech (e.g., communications about government proceedings or public concerns), while excluding government employees acting officially and commercial speech disputes. If the motion succeeds, the moving party may recover attorney fees. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and would have directly affected individuals, organizations, or media sued for public-interest speech in civil cases.