constitutional amendment

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Mississippi House passes Compact for a Balanced Budget

The House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 2389 to enter Mississippi into the Compact for a Balanced Budget. Gov. Bryant is expected to sign the bill making Mississippi the 3rd state to enter the interstate compact to pass a constitutional amendment requiring the federal government to balance the budget and limit federal borrowing.

Alaska and Georgia are the first two states to enter the compact; 38 states are required to pass the interstate compact and ultimately ratify a proposed amendment. With U.S. House and Senate resolutions, the amendment process is initiated and the states’ governors participate as delegates to a 24-hour Article V convention to propose and ratify the Balanced Budget Amendment.

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MS House still trying to get balanced budget amendment on ballot

If passed, House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 22 would give place a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced state budget on the 2015 ballot.  However, the bill authored by Rep. Mark Formby (Pearl River) failed to receive the necessary two-thirds of the House vote. A motion to reconsider has been made and the House may be vote on the measure again.

While the state has routinely balanced budgets, Republican members want to mandate the practice. But the HCR 22 must first be passed by the House and then approved by a majority of voters.  The bill does provide, with a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate, relief from the provisions of the amendment in times of war, natural disasters, and economic emergencies.

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Right to Hunt & Fish on November Ballot

In addition to the elected officials that are on the ballot Nov. 4th, there is one statewide ballot measure proposing a constitutional amendment to preserve hunting and fishing as rights in the State of Mississippi.

The language on the ballot will read as follows:

This proposed constitutional amendment establishes hunting, fishing and the harvesting of wildlife, including by the use of traditional methods, as a constitutional right subject only to such regulations and restrictions that promote wildlife conservation and management as the Legislature may prescribe by general law.

Yes ___
No ___

Very little opposition has been raised to the initiative (17 other states have similar amendments) but PETA and the National Council of State Legislatures believe hunting is on the decline although Mississippi is not one of those states.  The amendment will not affect the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks from licensing and regulating but is expected to preserve outdoor space for hunting and fishing.

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