Article V

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Gov. Bryant signs Compact for a Balanced Budget, texting ban

Gov. Bryant signed several bills into law recently including the Compact for a Balanced Budget and a bill prohibiting texting while driving.

Senate Bill 2389, the Compact for a Balanced Budget, enters Mississippi into the interstate compact that calls for a Constitutional Convention to ratify a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The Governor outlawed texting while driving by signing House Bill 389 which specifically states, “An operator of a moving motor vehicle is prohibited from writing, sending, or reading a text message and from accessing, reading or posting to a social networking site using a hand-held mobile telephone [or other portable electronic communication device] while driving said motor vehicle.” Mississippi already had a law prohibiting those 16 and under from texting while driving but this law expands the ban to all drivers. Phone calls are not impacted.

Other recently signed bills:

  • House Bill 215 allows temporary medical licenses to be issued to out-of-state doctors in state for military, National Guard, or Reserve duty.
  • House Bill 257 requires/allows HIV testing of adults accused of sexual assault on a child prior to any conviction.
  • Senate Bill 2127 provides in-state tuition rates for non-residents eligible for veterans education assistance.

The new laws become effective July 1st.

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Senate passes balanced budget amendment for U.S. Constitution

The Mississippi Senate passed Bill 2389 which, if also approved by the House and signed by the Governor, will enjoin Mississippi in the Compact for a Balanced Budget, an interstate effort to amend the U.S. Constitution to require a federal balanced budget, reduce federal borrowing, and seek state approval before increasing the debt limit. Alaska and Georgia entered the compact in April 2014 and at least 38 states are required.

With three-fourths of state agreeing to the compact, the U.S. House and Senate can pass resolutions without presidential signature to initiate the amendment process. Having the wording agreed upon up front, a 24-hour Article V convention would convene in which each governor, acting as their state’s delegate, would vote “yes” to ratify the Balanced Budget Amendment.

The U.S. Constitution, Article V provides that an amendment may be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures. However, three-fourths (or 38) states are required to ratify an amendment.

Sen. Joey Fillingane of Sumrall introduced the bill.

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