Sen. Rita Parks

Maddy summarySB 2968 changes how Mississippi calculates property taxes for rural agricultural structures like barns and poultry houses (excluding homes). It requires revaluing structures appraised before 2025 and mandates a fixed 7% annual depreciation rate for all rural structures after initial appraisal. Poultry houses have specific rules: their value cannot drop below 20% of original value, and a 45% economic obsolescence adjustment applies. These changes directly affect owners of commercial agricultural buildings, not residential properties.

Maddy summarySB 3010 allocates $1.91 billion in state and special funds for the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) during fiscal year 2026, directly affecting UMMC's operations and services. It specifies $189 million from the State General Fund and $1.72 billion from patient/student fees and other special sources to cover expenses, including maintaining its schools of medicine, nursing, and dentistry. The bill mandates that funds support specific programs like the Rural Physicians Scholarship ($2.17 million), Cancer Institute ($4.75 million), Children's Safe Center ($1.35 million), and a Comprehensive Tobacco Center ($595,000), while prohibiting use for embryo-destructive research. UMMC must report expenditures to the Legislature and ensure payments from state agencies for services are received within 90 days.

Maddy summarySB 3095 reduces Mississippi's individual income tax rate for income above $10,000 to 3.75% starting in 2027, gradually decreasing to 2.99% by 2030. It increases the sales tax on groceries (not purchased with food stamps) to 5% starting July 2025 and raises the fuel excise tax from 21¢ to 27¢ per gallon over 2025-2027. The bill also adjusts how revenue from fuel and sales taxes is distributed, directing more funds to infrastructure projects in municipalities and counties. These changes directly affect higher-income earners, grocery shoppers, and drivers purchasing gasoline.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $33.36 million from general state funds and $14.43 million from special sources (including $1.15 million from the Education Enhancement Fund) to fund Mississippi State University's Cooperative Extension Service for fiscal year 2026. It directly affects the agency's county-level programs in agriculture, family education, natural resources, 4-H youth development, and community business initiatives. Key provisions require the service to meet specific performance targets (e.g., 270,000 agricultural educational contacts) and restrict fund usage (e.g., no general funds to replace federal grants). The bill establishes reporting requirements for the 2027 budget request and mandates efficient fund allocation per the state's performance budgeting law.

Maddy summarySB 3008 provides $20.5 million in state general funds and $52.9 million in special-source funds for Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine for fiscal year 2026. The funding supports operations, construction of the Wise Center ($17.5 million), rural veterinarian scholarships ($60,000), and chronic disease testing ($125,000). The bill ties funds to specific performance targets, including 95% of graduates securing jobs within a year and 40,000 animal health clinic visits. It directly affects MSU's vet school, its students, faculty, and the veterinary care providers it serves across Mississippi. The legislation requires annual reporting on performance metrics to the legislature.

Maddy summarySB 3007 appropriates $6.26 million from general state funds and $1.37 million from special sources (including $450,000 from the Education Enhancement Fund) to cover the day-to-day operating and maintenance costs of Mississippi State University's Forest and Wildlife Research Center for fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). The bill specifically directs that general funds cannot replace other funding sources and requires special funds to be reported in future budget requests. It also reappropriates $1 million from the Capital Expense Fund for Deer Lab renovations, matching prior authorization, and mandates compliance with state spending rules. This is a funding bill focused on sustaining existing operations, not creating new policy.

Maddy summarySB 3009 allocates $51.65 million from the state general fund and $4.3 million from federal sources to support Mississippi's student financial aid programs for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It directly affects Mississippi students using state-funded scholarships, grants, and loans by prioritizing aid for those eligible under Section 37-106-39 of state law and restricting certain programs for new applicants after July 2025. Key provisions include requiring annual reports detailing recipients and award amounts, prohibiting transcripts for students with unpaid loan balances, and reserving $70,000 for speech-language pathologist loan forgiveness. The bill ensures funds are used for existing state aid programs while mandating transparency through detailed public reporting.

Maddy summarySB 3002 appropriates $375.9 million from the state general fund, $1.09 billion from federal/student fees, and $1.5 million from the Ayers Endowment to fund operations for Mississippi's eight public universities (Alcorn State, Delta State, Jackson State, Mississippi State, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi Valley State, Ole Miss, and Southern Miss) for fiscal year 2026. The bill specifies that off-campus centers must receive at least 65% of on-campus student costs without indirect overhead charges, and earmarks $145,000 for the Governor's School for the Gifted and $349,200 for the Teacher Corps. It also requires institutions to prioritize special funds over general funds for remediation and prohibits using state appropriations for non-essential purposes. The legislation mandates that universities submit budget requests for 2027 in the same format as 2026 and continue reviewing duplicate programs.

Maddy summarySB 3005 appropriates $24.5 million from the state general fund and $10.5 million from special source funds to support the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) for fiscal year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026). The bill specifies $1.35 million of the special funds must come from the Education Enhancement Fund and prohibits using state funds to replace existing federal or other special funds allocated for MAFES. It sets performance targets for MAFES, including research publication goals and scientist positions, requiring annual reporting on these metrics in the 2027 budget request. Additionally, the bill mandates that MAFES give preference to Mississippi Industries for the Blind when purchasing goods or equipment.

Maddy summarySB 3003 allocates nearly $86 million in state and special funds for fiscal year 2026 to support 15+ research centers and programs at Mississippi's public universities. It directly funds specific initiatives like the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory ($8.6 million), Mississippi Law Research Institute ($917,183), and the Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory ($1.9 million), among others. Key provisions include requiring that state funds not replace federal or special funds, and mandating that the chemical laboratory only provide additional services after clients pay overdue fees. The bill primarily enables existing university research programs to continue operations through dedicated funding streams.