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Mississippi Economic Council MEC Snapshot
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MEC Legislative Scramblers Kick Off With Appropriations on Jan. 29
The Mississippi Economic Council will host its first Legislative Scrambler of 2014 focusing on Appropriations on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at the Mississippi Museum of Art. The breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m., and attendees will hear from Senator Buck Clarke, Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee and Representative Herb Frierson, Chair, House Appropriations Committee.
There is no cost to attend MEC's first Legislative Scrambler
thanks to the generous sponsorship by Jones Walker LLP.
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Mississippi Press Association Holds Hosemann Roast This Thursday, Jan. 30
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Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann will be roasted by the Mississippi Press Association at an annual benefit for its education foundation on Jan. 30 at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson.
Hosemann was elected to the Secretary of State's office in 2007. He earned his undergraduate degree in Business from Notre Dame, a law degree from Ole Miss, and a Masters of Laws in Taxation from New York University. He is a former partner of Phelps Dunbar, LLP and was selected to the Best Lawyers in America for 18 consecutive years. Hosemann also served in the United States Army Reserves.
Roastmaster for the event will again be Sid Salter, director of University Relations at Mississippi State University and longtime syndicated columnist. Tickets for the event are now on sale.
The 24th annual Roast to benefit the MPA Education Foundation will be held Jan. 30 at the Hilton Hotel Jackson on County Line Road. In over two decades, the event has raised thousands of dollars to benefit the scholarship, internship and grant programs of MPAEF.
A reception will be held at 6 p.m.; dinner begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $80 each or a table of eight is available for $600.
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MEC's Blueprint Mississippi Pathway To Progress Tour Continues
Road Show Makes Next Stop in Laurel Jan. 28
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Attending the Blueprint Mississippi Pathway to Progress Tour stop in Tupelo were (from left to right) former MEC Chair Lewis Whitfield; Dan Rollins, CEO of BancorpSouth; Robin McGraw, Chairman and CEO, Renasant Bank; former MEC Chair Jack Reed, Sr.; former MEC Chair Jack Reed, Jr.; and Congressman Alan Nunnelee.
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The Blueprint Mississippi Pathway to Progress Tour will make its final January stop in Laurel on Tuesday, Jan. 28, after visiting Corinth, Ripley, Tupelo, Natchez, Brookhaven and Hattiesburg already this year.
The tour will stop in Laurel at the Laurel Country Club, located at 2011 U.S. 84, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The Laurel tour stop will be held in conjunction with Rotary.
The Blueprint Mississippi Pathway to Progress Tour will continue in February with stops in Picayune, Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Meridian and Gautier.
Education has been a hot topic, with voters naming it their top priority among Blueprint Goals. Transportation Infrastructure was rated highly, with 87% of attendees ranking it as very important to economic development, with West Point voters ranking it at a Tour-high 92.45%. The majority of voters on the tour had a positive outlook for Mississippi's future, with 60% voting that it would be a hot economic development location 10 years from now.
The MEC Pathway to Progress Tour will continue its 19-city tour across Mississippi and focus on ways Mississippi can sharpen its competitive edge by implementing the goals and recommendations of Blueprint Mississippi. The sessions will be 90 minutes long and include lunch. There is no cost to attend thanks to a generous sponsorship from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi. The event is open to the public, however, pre-registration is required.
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Tax Issues That Impact MEC Members Among Legislative Priorities for 2014
MEC has been at the forefront early the 2014 Legislative Session as bills have been introduced involving all of MEC's Priority Issues, as well as other numerous issues that MEC had long-standing positions on.
 Priority Issues for the 2014 session are:
- Transition to Appointed Superintendents
- Implementation of Common Core State Standards
- Providing Clarity in Tax Procedures
Tax Issues Must Be Addressed
Several tax procedural issues have come to light recently, which make Mississippi less competitive than other states to recruit and retain businesses and could ultimately put Mississippi companies at risk when dealing with tax audit appeals. MEC has been at the lead in working with several tax attorneys, CPAs, the Council of State Taxation and other business and industry associations to draft legislation to address these problems.
Many of the very things MEC has championed and the Mississippi Legislature has fought to protect are now in jeopardy as a result of recent court rulings. This legislation would: - Set Straightforward Standards for Using Alternative Methods in Determining Tax Liability
- Preserve and clarifies the ability for the taxpayer to have an independent on-the-record hearing in tax appeal cases
- Remove Financial Burden Currently Placed on Taxpayer Wishing to Appeal a Ruling
- Provide Certainty in the Notification Process
- Align Interest Rates More Closely with Today's Market
- Clarify Penalties and Make Language Uniform among Statutes
 House Bill 799 has been introduced by Ways and Means Chair Jeff Smith, while Senate Bill 2487 has been introduced by Finance Chair Joey Fillingane. These bills are designed to provide guidance to the taxpayer, and clearly outline everyone's expectations. But more importantly it does so without changing any substantive tax law and preserves the ability of the Department of Revenue to address abusive and unique situations.
Click Here for More Information Leadership Matters in Improving Education
Providing the best possible leadership for Mississippi's public schools is essential to improving the state's educational system in order accomplish the Blueprint Mississippi goal of "Increasing the Educational Achievement Level of Mississippians." The Mississippi Economic Council strongly supports legislation that calls for all superintendents of education in Mississippi to be appointed by January 2016.
MEC recognizes Mississippi is fortunate to have many exceptional superintendents, both elected and appointed, however transitioning to all-appointed superintendents will ensure all districts have the ability to select the best possible candidate. Senator Education Chair Gray Tollison and House Education Chair John L. Moore have introduced bills to implement this change.
Implementing Common Core Vital for Economic Development
College and Career Readiness are vital for Mississippi to continue increasing its economic competitiveness. Common Core State Standards will align Mississippi with other states to ensure our academic requirements will meet expectations of higher education institutions and the needs of employers competing in the global economy. Common Core State Standards raise the bar across the board, resulting in a more rigorous education for students, a higher return on taxpayers' investment and, ultimately, a more qualified workforce in Mississippi.
Earlier this month the Mississippi Department of Education voted to proceed with Common Core. Several bills have been introduced to this implementation or greatly curtail its effectiveness. MEC strongly opposes this legislation.
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Gov. Bryant Details Mississippi's Progress, Goals During Third State of the State Address
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In his third State of the State address, Gov. Phil Bryant detailed the progress Mississippi has made toward the objectives he outlined in his 2012 Inaugural Address. He also set new objectives for public education, public safety and the state's fiscal health.
"Two years ago we began our journey together," Gov. Bryant told a joint session of the Mississippi Legislature. "Our goal was simple: We would accomplish great things for all Mississippians.
"In those two years, my administration has endeavored to work with you to advance the common good...so we set about with four fundamental beliefs guiding our plan for the future.
"First, we believe every Mississippian should have the opportunity to be gainfully employed right here at home. Second, every Mississippian must have the opportunity to learn from the best educational system we can offer. Third, we believe that every Mississippian deserves to be born into a mature, two-parent family. Finally, we believe that every Mississippian should be certain that his or her tax dollars are put to proper use."
The governor reported that Mississippi has made significant progress toward these goals in the past two years.
Click Here for Full Speech
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Gov. Bryant Partners With Health Care Entities to Launch Diabetes Telehealth Network
Mississippi faces a growing diabetes crisis, ranking second among all states nationwide in disease prevalence with more than 373,000 adults in the state living with some form of diabetes. In an effort to address this problem, Gov. Phil Bryant has joined with the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), North Sunflower Medical Center (NSMC), GE Healthcare, Intel-GE Care Innovations and C Spire to offer people with diabetes more consistent and timely access to clinicians through the use of telehealth technology in their homes.
"This revolutionary telehealth effort will deliver top-notch medical care to patients in one of Mississippi's most medically underserved areas, providing a new lifeline for health and disease management," Gov. Phil Bryant said.
The Diabetes Telehealth Network will begin recruiting patients this spring in the Mississippi Delta to participate in an 18-month remote care management program, a concept which fuses technology with UMMC specialists to improve patient outcomes in a historically underserved area of the state. The program - a first of its kind nationally - is designed to improve the health of participants while also reducing the total cost of care.
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General Atomics Investing $11 Million, Creating 80 New Jobs in Shannon
Gov. Phil Bryant and General Atomics recently announced that the company's Electromagnetic Systems Group is relocating the production components of several well-established product lines from the former GA Electronic Systems, Inc., which recently merged with EMS, to their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Shannon. The project represents an $11 million company investment and will create 80 new jobs, bringing the total number employed by GA in Lee County to 150.
The relocated product lines provide equipment and services to the defense, nuclear, oil and energy storage industries. They will locate in the vacant Heritage Bag building in the Tupelo/Lee Industrial Park South. The 87,650-square-foot facility joins GA's existing campus.
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MDA to Sponsor Western Europe Multi Sector Business Development Mission
The Mississippi Development Authority recently announced their sponsorship of a Multi Sector Business Development Mission to Western Europe from March 31 to April 4, 2014. The trip will include stops in the United Kingdom and France. Participating companies will also have the opportunity to make a third stop if they have business prospects in a neighboring market.
The preliminary market research is completely free. In addition, for STEP eligible companies, the Mississippi Development Authority and U.S. Small Business Administration will provide financial and administrative support and will subsidize 75% of the business matchmaking service (4 to 6 meetings with prospective partners/buyers in each market) and reimburse up to 50% of their travel/airfare expenses, hotel accommodations, and meal per diem rates.
If interested in participating, please contact European Trade Specialist Aggie Sikora no later than Feb. 14, 2014. She can be reached at [email protected] or by telephone at (601) 359-2952 (office).
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Opportunities Abound in Mississippi:
Governor Bryant Outlines Goals for Future
A governor's State of the State address has a twofold purpose - first to discuss what has been accomplished and second to set goals going forward.
Last Wednesday, Gov. Phil Bryant gave his third State of the State since being sworn in. As he looked back over his first two years it was obvious that economic development has remained at the forefront of his administration's efforts. In fact, in the governor's first two years in office we've seen the announcement of almost 9,000 new jobs and more than $1.4 billion in private sector investment. In addition, Mississippi's Gross Domestic Product reached $100 billion for the first time ever.
The governor earlier this month released Opportunity Mississippi - Detailing the Roadmap to Success. It is a mid-term review that sets goals for the state. The report looks at the importance of creating jobs for Mississippians, improving our educational system and building a business friendly environment.
Governor Bryant often talks about the number of shovels he now has in his garage from all the groundbreaking that have taken place over the past two years. Looking at the objectives outlined in Opportunity Mississippi, it's safe to say he's going to have to make room for move.
I encourage you to take a look at this report and you will see there are a lot of great things happening in Mississippi, many which align with the goals and recommendations of Blueprint Mississippi, the state's strategic economic competitiveness plan. Governor Bryant, Lt. Governor Tate Reeves and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn have all embraced the Blueprint plan and as a result of their leadership and the support of the legislature we are seeing great things happen in Mississippi.
Working together these goals can be accomplished and doing so will put Mississippi in the place of greatest opportunity.
Keep the Faith
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ABOUT US
The Mississippi Economic Council has been the voice of Mississippi business since 1949. MEC deals with broad issues that relate to businesses through advocacy, research, resources and leadership. MEC has 8,600 members from 1,100 member firms in 2,400 locations throughout Mississippi.
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Mississippi Economic Council - The State Chamber of Commerce
248 E. Capitol Street, Suite 940 - Jackson, Mississippi 39201
P.O. Box 23276 - Jackson, Mississippi 39225-3276
Phone: 601-969-0022 - 1-800-748-7626
Fax: 601-353-0247 - 1-888-717-2809
Click Here for MEC Web Site
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