Sen. Jeremy England

Maddy summarySB 2760 establishes the Mississippi Cemetery Board within the Secretary of State's office to regulate perpetual care cemeteries, which are cemeteries where families pay upfront for ongoing maintenance. The board will oversee the financial health of cemetery trust funds, inspect cemetery conditions, enforce maintenance standards, and handle complaints against cemetery operators. It also allows families to form nonprofit groups to manage cemetery upkeep and collect funds for repairs. The bill directly affects cemetery operators, trust fund managers, and families who purchase perpetual care plots.

Maddy summaryMississippi's SB 2652 proposes adjusting the election terms for county election commissioners in Districts Two and Four. Currently, commissioners from these districts are elected every four years (starting in 2027), but the bill would change this: commissioners elected in 2027 would serve three-year terms, while those elected in 2030 and every four years after that would serve four-year terms. This adjustment spreads out election cycles to avoid all commissioner seats in these districts being up for election simultaneously. The change only affects commissioners in Districts Two and Four and does not alter the number of commissioners, election qualifications, or other existing procedures.

Maddy summaryThis bill would allow Mississippi counties, cities, tribes, or other local governments that already permit alcohol sales ("wet" jurisdictions) to authorize package stores (alcohol retailers) to sell alcohol on Sundays through local ordinances. Currently, such stores cannot sell alcohol on Sundays under state law. Local governments could choose to permit Sunday sales, but stores would not be required to operate on Sundays and could continue limiting sales to Monday through Saturday. The bill does not change existing restrictions on alcohol sales times or require any store to sell on Sundays.

Maddy summarySB 2895 would have required parental consent for most healthcare treatments for unemancipated minors in Mississippi, removing existing exceptions for mental health treatment (for minors 15+) and venereal disease treatment. It would have also banned physicians from providing contraceptive supplies or information to minors without parental consent, aligning with the new consent requirement. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and never became law, so these provisions were never implemented. It directly affected minors seeking healthcare, parents, and healthcare providers in Mississippi.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment (SC 518) to allow Mississippi citizens to directly propose new laws or amend/repeal existing laws through a petition process, bypassing the legislature. To qualify, petitions require signatures from 17% of voters in the previous gubernatorial election, with limits on signatures per congressional district. Initiatives must include fiscal details showing funding sources to avoid budget deficits, and the legislature can amend or reject proposals within four months before a vote. The bill died in committee in February 2025 and would require voter approval to take effect.

Maddy summarySB 2658 amends Mississippi's campaign finance laws to increase transparency and restrict contributions. It requires candidates and committees to file a "statement of organization" before accepting funds, mandates online public access to financial reports via the Secretary of State's website, and limits corporate donations to $1,000 annually. The bill also prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to local elections or ballot measures, with penalties including fines or imprisonment for violations, and bans using campaign funds for personal expenses or civil penalties. Despite being referred to the Elections Committee in January 2025, the bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summarySB 2660 would repeal Mississippi laws that currently ban corporations from making political contributions to candidates or campaigns and impose penalties for such donations. If passed, this bill would directly affect corporations operating in Mississippi by allowing them to contribute to political campaigns without legal restriction. The key mechanism is the removal of Sections 97-13-15 and 97-13-17 from Mississippi’s code, which previously prohibited and penalized corporate political donations. This change would eliminate both the ban on contributions and the associated penalties for violations. The bill is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2025, though it died in committee in February 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2607 standardizes requirements for therapists providing dyslexia therapy under Mississippi's Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship Program. It defines "Department-approved Orton-Gillingham based dyslexia therapy training programs" as IMSLEC-accredited programs requiring 900 total hours of coursework and clinical practice, plus national certification. This affects students with dyslexia who receive scholarships and therapists seeking eligibility to provide services. The bill ensures only qualified therapists using evidence-based Orton-Gillingham methods can participate, clarifying program standards without changing scholarship funding or eligibility.

Maddy summarySB 2648, the "Mississippi Recall Act of 2025," would have established a standardized process for recalling elected state officials, legislators, and local officials in Mississippi. It required petition sponsors to gather signatures from at least 35% of voters who participated in the last election for that office, with specific rules for verifying signatures and filing petitions. The bill would have replaced existing recall procedures (previously covered in Mississippi Code sections 25-5-3 through 25-5-37) and defined terms like "electoral district" and "sponsors." However, the bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summarySB 2655 would require voters registering in person or by mail (but not using the Federal Post Card Application) to submit proof of residency with their application. Acceptable documents include a current driver's license, utility bill, rental agreement, or student ID with housing confirmation, all showing a full name and current address. Applications missing this proof would be rejected after 10 days if not submitted. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and did not become law.