Sen. Kevin Blackwell

Maddy summaryMississippi's SB 2077 would criminalize the sale of human remains or body parts by amending state law to explicitly prohibit selling a dead body or any part of one. The bill imposes penalties of up to five years in prison, a $500 fine, or both for violations. It directly affects individuals or entities attempting to sell human remains, such as in illicit markets or improper disposal scenarios. The bill, which died in committee on February 3, 2026, would have taken effect July 1, 2026, if passed. (Note: This is a procedural bill addressing criminal penalties, not a substantive policy change.)

Maddy summarySB 2049 would require all candidates for elected offices in Mississippi to be natural-born U.S. citizens. It directly affects over 15 types of positions, including state officials (like Agriculture Commissioner and Transportation Commissioners), local leaders (sheriffs, mayors, school board members), and county officers (coroners, tax assessors). The bill amends existing qualification laws to add this citizenship requirement, replacing previous rules that allowed naturalized citizens in some cases, with the change applying to elections held after January 1, 2020.

Maddy summarySB 2089 would amend Mississippi's state holiday code to designate U.S. Presidential Election Day, General State Election Day, and days when Mississippi's U.S. Senate seats are on the ballot as official legal holidays for state government operations. This means state offices would close on these election days, starting in 2027 for state elections and 2028 for presidential elections, with the next Monday becoming the holiday if it falls on a Sunday. The bill directly affects state employees and government services by requiring closures on these specific election dates. It does not change voting procedures or affect private businesses.

Maddy summarySB 2079 would create a new criminal offense for reckless endangerment in Mississippi, defined as recklessly engaging in conduct that places someone in imminent danger of death or serious injury. It establishes misdemeanor penalties (up to $500 fine or 1 year in jail) for basic reckless endangerment, with enhanced felony penalties for using deadly weapons (up to $3,000 fine and 6 years in prison) or discharging firearms into occupied dwellings (3-15 years in prison, up to $10,000 fine). The bill also specifies harsher penalties for firing into unoccupied homes (2-12 years, up to $5,000 fine). The bill died in committee on February 3, 2026, and was never enacted, though it was scheduled to take effect July 1, 2026, if passed.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Mississippi election laws to reduce the deadline for voters who cannot present proper photo identification or who claim a religious exemption from being photographed. Under the current law, these voters must return to a clerk's office within five days after an election to have their affidavit ballots counted, but the bill shortens this window to three days. The change applies to voters who cast affidavit ballots due to lacking acceptable identification or those who need to submit a religious objection affidavit. If voters do not meet the new deadline, their ballots will not be counted. The bill also maintains existing requirements for affidavit ballot procedures, including information provided to voters and how election officials must process and track these ballots.

Maddy summarySB 2092 is a proposed bill that defines what constitutes a vacancy in Mississippi's state legislature, directly affecting legislators and voters in districts with vacancies. It lists specific events causing vacancies (e.g., death, resignation, felony conviction, loss of voter registration) and requires the Governor to issue special election writs within 30 days, with 85 days' notice to voters - unless a general election occurs that year, when the Governor may skip the special election. The bill would have taken effect July 1, 2026, but died in committee in February 2026 and never became law. This is a procedural change to standardize vacancy handling, not a policy affecting public services or funding.

Maddy summarySB 2067 requires Mississippi high school graduates to pass at least 60% of the civics questions on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization test (the same test used for citizenship applications) to earn a diploma. It also mandates the same 60% passing score for individuals seeking a high school equivalency diploma (GED) starting January 1, 2026. Students and applicants may retake the test until they pass, and those who passed a similar test within the previous three years are exempt. The bill requires schools to provide accommodations for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) during testing.

Maddy summarySB 2068 establishes a formal process for removing Mississippi school board members who fail to fulfill duties or engage in misconduct. It authorizes removal for specific grounds like neglecting responsibilities, breaching public trust, or abusing authority, including chronic absenteeism from meetings. The bill requires the school board to formally recommend removal, triggers a hearing with notice to the member, and mandates a majority vote by the local governing authority to approve removal. It also creates an appeals path to circuit court for those challenged. This bill directly affects school board members in Mississippi school districts by defining removal procedures.

Maddy summarySB 2193 amends Mississippi law to allow nurse practitioners (NPs) to dispense prescription medications (legend drugs) to their own patients, removing a prior restriction. This directly affects NPs who already hold prescriptive authority for non-controlled substances under existing rules. The key change explicitly permits NPs to dispense these medications without requiring a separate pharmacy relationship, while maintaining prohibitions on dispensing controlled substances (Schedules II-V) except as allowed under the Medical Cannabis Act. The bill died in committee in February 2026 and did not become law.

Maddy summarySB 2195 would have removed a special restriction preventing a specific 40-bed psychiatric residential treatment facility in DeSoto County from participating in Mississippi's Medicaid program. The bill amended state law to ensure this facility could access Medicaid reimbursement on the same terms as other similar facilities, eliminating a requirement that would have applied only to it. It specifically revised the certificate of need approval process to remove discriminatory barriers for this facility. This change would have directly affected the facility's ability to serve Medicaid patients without additional regulatory hurdles.