Sen. Chad McMahan has several bills in 2020 legislative session

State Senator Chad McMahan (R-Guntown) has introduced several bills during this session of the Mississippi Legislature that are specifically intended to benefit northeast Mississippi.

“The BancorpSouth Arena and Conference Center is an asset that serves all of northeast Mississippi,” said McMahan. “I’m trying to get some money for that expansion.”

McMahan introduced Senate Bill 2315, “An Act To Authorize The Issuance Of State General Obligation Bonds To Provide Funds To Assist The City Of Tupelo, Mississippi, In Paying The Costs Associated With The Repair, Renovation And Expansion Of The BankcorpSouth Arena and Conference Center.” The bill has been assigned to the Senate Finance Committee of which McMahan is a member.

McMahan introduced another bill intended to assure continued medical care for special needs children. A Medicaid audit has interrupted the funding of a program that provides such care. McMahan authored Senate Bill 2180 that would allow special needs children to continue to receive services they have been denied because of the Medicare audit. “That bill will not advance,” McMahan told NEMISS.NEWS. “However, a bill proposed by some of my colleagues will do the same thing, and I am supporting it. It’s amazing what you can get done if you don’t care who gets the credit.”

In another matter, instances of gunmen killing people in church services, such as the one in Texas in December 2019, and other church shooting incidents in South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas during recent years has focused attention on such dangers to worshipers.

In response to requests from the Mississippi Sheriffs Association, McMahan, introduced Senate Bill 2204 that would increase the capacity of local law enforcement agencies to provide security for church services in Mississippi. Mississippi sheriffs are already authorized to allow deputy sheriffs to wear their official uniforms and carry their issued sidearms when doing authorized off-duty security work.

Senate Bill 2204 amends Section 17-25-11 of the Mississippi Code of 1972 to also allow the use of official law enforcement motor vehicles for such duty. The amendment would also allow municipalities to authorize similar services if approved by city governing boards. It is believed that the sight of a marked law enforcement vehicle parked at a church might be a deterrent for some would-be shooters.

See this link for text of Senate Bill 2204: http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2020/html/SB/2200-2299/SB2204IN.htm

Chad McMahan represents State Senate District 6, which includes most of Lee County and a portion of Itawamba County. He was re-elected for a second four-year term in the November 2019 general election.

Local rehab center in funding bind: http://newalbanyunionco.com/community-service-suffers-from-dhs-audit-and-fund-freeze/