Bills in the 2015 Regular Session, Senate.
Michael Watson
Sponsored
Out of committee1
Controlled substances; enhance penalty for illegal sale in proximity to drug rehab facility.
In committee37
Distinctive motor vehicle license tag; reauthorize issuance to supporters of St. Martin High School.
Homestead exemption; increase for persons 65 years of age or older or totally disabled.
Public Trust Tidelands; auth. leases for residential purposes on Lowry Island and auth. SOS to share sublease income with city.
Youth sports concussions and head injuries; provide procedures and education requirements.
Student test results; testing companies shall notify schools not later than 21st day after the test is given.
Unlawful absences from school; no promotion or graduation if student has accumulated 21 or more absences in preceding school year.
Trusty status; offenders ineligible to work at Governor's Mansion if incarcerated for a violent crime.
Cell phones; prohibit warrantless tracking of by law enforcement.
Common Core educational standards; parents can opt-out.
Student Online Personal Information Protection Act; enact.
Littering; clarify elements of offense.
Legislature; reduce size beginning with 2015 statewide general election.
Health care insurance; no person, employer or health care provider shall be required to participate in any health care plan.
Property insurance; prohibit hurricane deductible unless damages arose from a named storm.
Elections; revise procedure for examining certain records and for filing certain election contests.
Educational expenses at qualified private schools; individual income tax credits for.
Income tax; authorize a deduction for certain retrofitting or upgrades to homes in Coastal Area of Mississippi.
Alcoholic beverages; allow direct shipment of certain wines, authorize a wine only package retailer's permit and allow wine tasting.
Sales tax; remove requirement that certain taxpayers pay June liability for the tax on or before June 25.
Sales taxation; exempt retail sales of school supplies during the last weekend in July.
Taxation; limit prosecution's authority to plea-bargain.
Intercept gaming winnings of parents with a child support arrearage; provide procedures for.
Digital privacy; enact protections.
Local school district budgets; require at least 75% to be expended for instructional purposes.
Employment Protection Act; revise and clarify.
Student transfer from school or school district which has lost accreditation; provide for mandatory transfer.
"Mississippi Opportunity Scholarship Act of 2014"; establish.
Charter schools for special needs students; may be approved with approval of local school board.
Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS); parents may opt-out.
Mississippi Education Savings Scholarship Accounts Program; establish.
"Mississippi Educational Improvement Tax Credit Act of 2015"; establish.
Homeschool students; authorize participation in extracurricular activities in public school.
School board members elected in all districts; superintendents appointed after January 1, 2016.
Elections; authorize procedures to promote full investigation and detection of election law violations.
Chemical endangerment of a child or fetus; create crime of.
Constitution; provide a process by which ballot initiatives may be revised.
Income taxation; allow deduction for contributions to accounts established to pay for uninsured wind damage to homesteads.
Co-sponsored
Became law · 9
Memorial bridge; designate a certain bridge in Lowndes County as the Terry W. Brown Memorial Bridge.
Death benefits trust fund; create for beneficiaries of local emergency management officials, coroners & deputy coroners.
Auto liability insurance; insurance card may be displayed on cellular phone when providing proof of insurance.
Compact for a Balanced Budget; enact.
Concealed weapons law; decrease certain fees for licensees.
Memorial highways; designate a certain segment of U.S. Highway 45 Alternate as the Senator Bennie L. Turner Memorial Highway.
Concealed-carry permit; revised enhanced.
Mississippi Direct Primary Care Act; create.
"Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs" program to establish ESAs for certain students; create.
Vetoed · 1
Mississippi Medical Emergency Good Samaritan Act; create.
Passed the Senate · 5
Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal and the Bronze Star motor vehicle tags; exempt from vehicle registration fees and taxes.
Income tax; authorize a credit for taxpayers that employ veterans.
Medical examiner; require appointment in southern region.
Concealed weapon; authorize carrying of.
Taxpayer Pay Raise Act of 2015; phase out income taxation on first $5,000.00 of taxable income; phase out franchise tax.
In committee · 16
State Superintendent of Education and Commissioner of Higher Education; establish maximum salary for.
State Department of Education; shall publish any agreement to enforce federal law or regulation for public comment.
Parental access to online curriculum programs in which child is enrolled; State Board of Education to provide for.
Hospital assessments for Medicaid funding and DSH/UPL payments to certain hospitals; provide for.
Elections; establish closed primary system.
Voter preregistration; authorize for persons 16 and older who are otherwise eligible to vote.
TANF benefits; require applicants to participate in mandatory community service programs to qualify.
Corporation franchise tax; phase out effective January 1, 2020.
Common Core National Education Standards and P.A.R.C.C.; prohibit State Board of Education from implementing.
Mississippi Liberty Preservation Act; create.
Firearms; prohibit state cooperation with federal effort to ban.
Public benefits; agencies administering programs for must verify lawful presence in U.S. of applicants for.
Parole; provide for conditional release of an offender to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in certain circumstances.
MS Gulf Coast Region Utility Act; revise powers and duties of the county utility authorities.
Federal exchange health plans & State Employee Health Plan; no abortion coverage may be provided by.
Cursive writing; direct State Board of Education to require in elementary education curriculum.