***BREAKING*** - HB 488, the House anti-immigrant bill, skipped in Senate committee; appears dead

Sen. Hob Bryan (D - Amory), chairman of the Senate Judiciary B committee, has skipped HB 488 on the calendar.  The Republican anti-immigrant legislation will die at midnight.

Rep. Andy Gipson (R - Braxton) gets busy amending Senate bills in committee, trying to save House bills floundering in Senate

Word is that Rep. Andy Gipson (R - Braxton) has amended two Senate bills this morning in an effort to save the House anti-immigrant bill and the House forced transvaginal ultrasound bill.  Rep. Gipson amended SB 2549, a counterfeit goods measure, to include the language of the HB 488.  HB 488 was referred by Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves (R) to Senate Judiciary B yesterday, where many think it will die.  Rep. Gipson also amended SB 2771, a bill to increase the penalty for manslaughter against a child, to include the language from the forced transvaginal ultrasound bill, HB 1196.  HB 1196 was also referred to Senate Judiciary B yesterday.

A look at who is behind the Mississippi immigration legislation

I've touched on HB 488 a bit, which is Arizona/Alabama-style anti-immigrant legislation.  It cleared the House back on March 14th after a contentious debate, and now awaits committee assignment in the Senate.  The question has to be asked: why are non-border states like Alabama and Mississippi the hotbed of anti-immigrant legislation?  Well, it always helps to know who is pushing legislation.  In the case of HB 488, we can find out by looking at where its language came from.