Sen. Walter Michel

Maddy summarySB 3028 appropriates $134,145 from the state treasury to fund the Mississippi State Board of Chiropractic Examiners for fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026). The bill requires the Board to maintain detailed financial records matching its 2025 reporting standards and mandates that future budget requests follow similar formatting. It also directs the Board to prioritize purchases from Mississippi Industries for the Blind when bids are equal in price, quality, and service. The bill is procedural and solely concerns funding allocation, not policy changes affecting chiropractors or the public.

Maddy summaryThis resolution commends the life and service of U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, a Mississippi native and Black Hawk helicopter pilot who died in a 2025 training mission crash near Washington, D.C. It expresses the Mississippi Legislature’s sympathy to his family and honors his memory as a fallen soldier. The resolution has no policy provisions or direct impact beyond ceremonial recognition.

Maddy summarySB 2147 requires Mississippi public schools to integrate financial literacy into grades 6-8 curriculum by the 2026-2027 school year and mandates a personal finance course (either a half-credit or full course with at least half focused on finance) for high school graduation starting with the 2031 graduating class. The bill establishes a "Financial Literacy Trust Fund" within the state treasury to support this program, administered by the State Board of Education with annual audits and legislative reporting. It directly affects all public school students in Mississippi from middle school through high school, requiring new coursework to meet graduation standards. The fund must be managed responsibly, with unspent money lapsing to the general fund annually, and the State Board must develop specific curriculum standards for financial literacy.

Maddy summarySB 2291 designates Mississippi's Department of Finance and Administration's Bureau of Building, Grounds and Real Property Management as the central leasing agent for all state agencies requiring office space, effective January 1, 2026. It requires agencies to obtain bureau approval before leasing or purchasing space outside state-owned buildings, prioritizes housing agencies in state-owned facilities when available, and mandates consolidation of agencies in shared buildings to reduce costs. The bureau will negotiate leases, set space allocation standards, and require 180-day advance requests detailing space needs, moving expenses, and staffing. This applies to all state agencies except military departments, universities, and community colleges.

Maddy summarySB 2861 creates Mississippi's "Work and Save Program," a state-sponsored retirement savings initiative for small businesses without existing retirement plans. It allows eligible employers to offer employees voluntary payroll deductions into Roth IRAs with target-date investments, primarily benefiting moderate- and lower-income workers in private-sector jobs. The program establishes an administrative fund in the state treasury to cover costs and provides liability protections for participating employers. The bill died in committee on March 4, 2025, after passing the Senate but not advancing further.

Maddy summarySB 2043 requires Mississippi's Department of Human Services (DHS) and Gaming Commission to create regulations that direct casinos to withhold cash gaming winnings - including slot machine payouts, sports betting, and other reportable winnings - from individuals with outstanding child support arrears. The bill mandates casinos to share relevant financial information with DHS to enforce these withholdings. It applies directly to people who owe past-due child support payments and win money at Mississippi casinos. DHS would use these withheld funds to reduce the individuals' existing child support debt, with no new penalties or changes to existing child support enforcement mechanisms.

Maddy summarySB 2413 renames Mississippi's hurricane damage mitigation program to the "Strengthen Mississippi Homes Program" and increases financial grants for property owners to $15,000 per home to retrofit structures against wind and hurricane damage. The bill removes requirements for cost-benefit studies and an advisory council, while directing insurance companies to notify clients about the program within 30 days of filing discount schedules. Funding comes from a new fee structure: half of the $50 fee for processing agent certificates (effective 2025) goes into the dedicated "Strengthen Mississippi Homes Fund." This program directly affects single-family homeowners and commercial property owners seeking to reduce vulnerability to wind/hurricane damage.

Maddy summarySB 2850 requires cigarette and vape (ENDS) manufacturers in Mississippi to submit annual certifications to the Commissioner of Revenue by September 1, 2025, for vapes, leading to a public directory of approved products starting October 1, 2025. Retailers must stop selling vape products not listed in the directory after that date, with a 60-day grace period to clear existing inventory. Sellers of non-compliant products face daily fines up to $1,500 per product, and the bill mandates unannounced compliance checks by the Department of Revenue. Manufacturers must also maintain a registered agent in Mississippi for legal service.

Maddy summarySR 65 is a ceremonial resolution passed by the Mississippi Senate to honor Hinds County Deputy Sheriff Martin Shields, Jr., who died in the line of duty on February 23, 2025. The resolution extends the Senate's "sincerest sympathy" to his surviving family - including his wife, daughter, and parents - and commends his law enforcement career. It has no policy provisions or financial impact; it is purely symbolic, expressing condolences and acknowledging his service. The Senate formally adopted the resolution on February 27, 2025, and will present it to his family and the Hinds County Sheriff's Office.

Maddy summarySR 49 is a ceremonial resolution extending the Mississippi Senate's sympathy to the surviving family of retired Hinds County Circuit Court Judge William Swan Yerger. It commends his decades of community service, including founding the Mississippi Arts Festival, leadership in local organizations, and dedication to the legal profession. The resolution does not create new laws or policies - it formally honors his legacy through a symbolic expression of respect.