Sen. Joey Fillingane

Maddy summarySB 2825, the "Retailer Tax Fairness Act," would give Mississippi retailers a credit toward their state and local sales taxes equal to 2.5% of taxes collected on credit or debit card purchases. It applies when retailers pay fees charged by card networks (interchange fees) but do not add those fees as a separate charge to customers. The credit would reduce the total tax amount retailers owe on those electronic transactions. The bill was introduced in 2025 but died in committee before becoming law.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (SC 502), not a policy bill. It formally expresses the Mississippi Senate's condolences to the family of John J. Fraiser, Jr., a former state senator, presiding judge of the Mississippi Court of Appeals, and WWII veteran who died in July 2024. The resolution commends his decades of public service, including establishing the Mississippi Court of Appeals and authoring education-related legislation. It has no policy impact or effect on any individuals or laws.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (not a policy bill) expressing the Mississippi Senate's condolences to the family of Edwin Lloyd Pittman, a former Mississippi public servant. It honors his service as Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, Attorney General, Secretary of State, two-term State Senator, and Brigadier General in the Mississippi National Guard. The resolution recognizes his career spanning multiple branches of state government and his efforts to improve judicial transparency and access to justice. It contains no policy changes or funding provisions, serving solely as a formal tribute.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SC 506) is a concurrent resolution expressing the Mississippi Legislature's sympathy to the surviving family of former State Senator Nickey Reed Browning of Pontotoc, Mississippi, following his death on October 29, 2024. It commends his 24-year service in the Senate, his community leadership, and his role as a longtime coach for the Pontotoc Red Sox American Legion Baseball team. The resolution formally extends condolences and recognizes his contributions to Pontotoc and Union Counties. As a commemorative measure, it does not create any new laws or policies.

Maddy summaryBill SC 504 is a commemorative resolution extending the Mississippi Senate's deepest sympathy to the family of Charles James Pittman, a former Mississippi State Senator and former staff member to Governor Haley Barbour. The resolution also commends his decades of public service, including founding the "MS Singing Senators" and his dedication to Mississippi communities. It honors his legacy of ethics, community involvement, and service to the state, as detailed in the resolution's preamble. This procedural resolution does not create new laws or affect policy, but serves as a formal tribute.

Maddy summarySR 27 is a ceremonial resolution extending the Mississippi Senate's sympathy to the family of Jeanne Carter Luckey, a National Republican Committee Woman and community leader from Louisville, Mississippi, following her death on November 7, 2024. The resolution commends her service, including her work as Mississippi Federation of Republican Women President, her advocacy for disability access on the Institutions of Higher Learning board, and her decades of community involvement. This resolution has no policy effect - it solely expresses the Senate’s condolences and acknowledges her life’s contributions. It was adopted by the Senate on February 17, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2782 was a procedural bill to reposition Mississippi's existing law (Section 43-21-255) about confidential law enforcement records involving children to a more prominent location in the code for potential future amendment. It did not change the current rules requiring law enforcement, youth courts, and schools to keep such records confidential unless specific exceptions apply (e.g., felony arrests, sex offenses). The bill directly affected law enforcement agencies, youth court officials, and school administrators who handle juvenile records. It was a technical reorganization, not a policy change.

Maddy summarySB 2511, the Mississippi Immigration Enforcement Act of 2025, creates a special fund to support state immigration enforcement by imposing a fee on money transmitters (e.g., Western Union). The fee - $7.50 per transaction under $500 plus 1.5% on amounts over $500 - is collected from businesses and directed into the "Illegal Immigration Enforcement Fund," which funds the new Illegal Immigration Enforcement Unit within the Department of Public Safety. This unit is authorized to enforce immigration laws under federal Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, requiring county detention facilities to enter into agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by a specific deadline. The bill also prohibits contracts with carriers knowingly transporting unauthorized aliens, though it died in committee on February 4, 2025, and never became law.

Maddy summarySB 2732, the "Mississippi Gestational Carrier, Surrogacy and In Vitro Child and Parent Act," would have established legal rules for gestational surrogacy in Mississippi. It defined key terms (like "gestational carrier" and "commissioning parent"), required written agreements outlining parental rights and compensation limits, and created procedures for establishing parentage before birth. The bill directly affected intended parents, gestational carriers, and children conceived through assisted reproductive technology. However, it died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summarySB 2671 amends Mississippi law to expand the scope of practice for licensed podiatrists. It revises the definition of podiatric medicine to explicitly include treatment of the foot, ankle, and related structures (like muscles/tendons of the lower leg). The bill allows podiatrists to perform both conservative and surgical treatments after completing approved training - either a CPME-accredited residency or training deemed sufficient by the State Board of Medical Licensure. This change would directly affect licensed podiatrists in Mississippi by broadening their permitted medical and surgical treatments for foot and ankle conditions. The bill, which died in committee in February 2025, was not enacted into law.