Yall Politics

Rep Sherra Lane on MS sales tax holiday

The recent “sales tax holiday” in Mississippi was a phenomenal success. I am proud as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives that this legislation became law this year. I feel sure we will have many chances to “tweak” the act in coming years, but this was a great start.

I want to correct some points, however. I heard Sen. Walter Michel on a talk radio show insinuating that, but for the House of Representatives, the sales tax holiday in this state would have passed years ago, and that if had not been for him, it would never have come to fruition. While giving Sen. Michel full credit for his concern for our citizens and for his persistence in filing his bill for nine (9) consecutive years, the record needs to be set straight about the legislative history of the “sales tax holiday” bill.

According to official legislative records, Sen. Michel first introduced a tax holiday bill in 2000. It died in the SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE (my emphasis). The same SENATE Finance Committee killed Sen. Michel’s tax holiday bills in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and, even in the immediate past session of 2009.

In 2006, his bill passed the Senate and died in the House Ways and Means Committee. However, that was the session when all of the general obligation bond bills died in the Senate, but upon a suspension of rules by both House and Senate, five of them later passed both chambers. There was no way the House would pass his tax-holiday bill when the Senate was killing all of the House bond bills to the detriment of our citizens; therefore his tax bill died in the House committee.

Your readers need to know that although tax-holiday bills died in the SENATE Finance Committee from the years 2000 through 2006, HOUSE BILL 1612 , authorizing a “sales tax holiday” passed the full House in 2007. The bill was sent to the Senate where it died in the SENATE Finance Committee. THE SAME THING HAPPENED IN 2008 – the House passed a “sales tax holiday” bill and it DIED AGAIN IN THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

That brought us to 2009 when House Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Percy Watson introduced HB 348 – the very act that Mississippi consumers took advantage of on July 31-Aug. 1.

So, while one must congratulate Sen. Michel for his intentions and his persistence in having filed “sales tax holiday” legislation for 10 consecutive years, only ONE of the bills he introduced got past the Senate Finance Committee. NINE OF THEM DIED IN HIS OWN SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

Respectfully Submitted,

State Rep. Sherra H. Lane, House District 86 (Clarke, Perry and Wayne Counties)

Posted August 13, 2009 - 9:00 am

7 Comments:

what an ego and what pettiness. who cares? it finally passed and was a success.

Posted by ampal on 08-13-2009 at 11:25 AM [link]

Please do any of you have any conservative friends in Clarke, Perry or Wayne county. She’s go to go. Not only for that but for her support of the illegal alliens and how she want’s to bankrupt small business by increasing the unemloyment compensation and so on.

Post the names here or please call the MS GOP.

Posted by Crusader on 08-13-2009 at 12:39 PM [link]

Yall are missing something.

There was no way the House would pass his tax-holiday bill when the Senate was killing all of the House bond bills

Now, in the future, if the House says they don’t play politics....only look out for the little guy....mean old Senate that is so bad....just remember that one quote.

So, what you’re saying, Representative Lane, is that retaliation is what dictates what gets passed in the House? Very interesting. Where do the people you represent stand on playing the retaliation game instead of actually representing them?

Posted by Just Me on 08-13-2009 at 03:50 PM [link]

ampal: ditto, man. how self-serving can these yo-yos get? i’m sick and tired of politicians. period.

Posted by fly13 on 08-13-2009 at 08:03 PM [link]

This is Rep. Lane responding to the above comments:
Ampal, no one cared who got the “credit” until the House of Rep. was “bashed” on Gallo by the Senator who implied/stated that, but for the House, the sales tax holiday would have been passed since 2000. My letter was not about “credit,” but was about a misrepresentation. The facts can be checked by going to the MS Legislature, clicking on “bill status” and going to previous sessions. Following the links to “finance committee” in the Senate or “ways and means committee” in the House.
Crusader, I’ll bet the GOP wants me to “go.” I am very proud of my record in standing up for the unemployed in MS who have had much less than the Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) since 1992. The Executive Director of the MS Department of Employment Security has an annual salary of $135,314.56 which became effective on July 1, 2007. Her annual salary when she began that position on Sept. l, 2004 was $104,088.12. When the Ways and Means Committee had hearings on MS’ unemployment benefits in 2008, the Director testified that she had recommended a $5.00 per week increase for the unemployed. At that time, our unemployed citizens had not had an increase since 2002; gas was approximately $4.00 per gallon and milk was $4.18 per gallon. Don’t you think the workers should have at least the COLA recognized by SS to help keep pace with inflation?
Just Me, as to your reference of “playing politics,” the bond bills that were killed by the Senate, until revived by a suspension of the Rules included HB 1492 which I filed to help retain jobs in Wayne and Clarke Counties. It was for a shortline RR that goes through Wayne, Clarke to Lauderdale Counties. My constiuents and Industrial Park Businesses had approx. 1900 direct jobs and an additional 3100 indirect jobs depending on the RR. I was representing my business and employees’ economic interest to the best of my ability. The bill did pass and helped my constituents as well as Lauderdale County.

Posted by truth on 08-17-2009 at 01:31 PM [link]

Rep. Lane, thanks so much for making yourself available to answer comments on YP. It speaks volumes. Most politicians in MS don’t care to face voters. We do appreciate it.

Posted by Alan on 08-18-2009 at 07:29 AM [link]

Thank you, Alan. I do my best to be available and to respond to citizens’ concerns.

Posted by truth on 08-18-2009 at 09:21 AM [link]

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