County to honor Woods

The Marshall County Board of Supervisors took steps at the March 1 meeting to dedicate a portion of I-269 through Byhalia in memory of the late state representative, Tommy Woods.

The request, brought to the board by Rep. Bill Kinkade, was unanimously approved. Resolutions were given to members of the local delegation to take to Jackson to seek approval.

The dedication only includes signage, not a name change of the segment of highway.

Kinkade reviewed some bills under consideration at the legislature, including HB 1439 that would eliminate the state income tax.

He said there has been a movement underfoot for at least 10 years to eliminate the state income tax but “the numbers don’t work” in this bill.

This session of the legislature is rapidly coming to a close.

The state would operate on sales tax, Kinkade said, perhaps a 2.5 percent increase. Some products would be exempt such as seeds used in agriculture, etc.

District 5 supervisor Ronnie Joe Bennett was dead set against it.

“I cannot support that bill,” he said. “I’d rather pay my $1,600 state tax and forget about it.” “The concept is good but the bill does not work (create enough revenue),” Kinkade said. “We have a few weeks left in the session, and the bill drops on us.” He said the matter should be taken up in the summer with a joint session of the House and Senate.

County consultant Gary Anderson said the bill passed the House but the companion bill died in the Senate.

Kinkade said the plan follows the Tennessee plan and would make Mississippi “longterm competitive in the southeast United States.”

“We have to deal with cutting the income tax to make us competitive such as in hiring teachers.” the representative said.

The state currently collects $1.9 billion in income tax, he said.

Zinn said he thinks the proposed sales tax levy to replace the personal income tax “is just another form of oppression like voting (oppression).”

Kinkade said there are a lot of people either relocating or dying so the actions on voting are to clear dead people and people who have moved from the rolls.

“They can track people, even if the individual didn’t vote in an election,” Zinn said.

“This is a pattern of behavior,” Kinkade said. “They have to miss several elections to be taken off the voter rolls.”

The conversation turned to state parks.

A Mississippi Outdoors Stewardship Trust Fund would allocate up to $20 million to be used by municipalities and counties as matching funds for federal grants. Kinkade said the state is missing lots of opportunities to fund projects in parks because the state has no money for the required match.

“I’ve got eight projects completed or underway and put quite a bit of effort to get Wall Doxey State Park brought back up to some standards,” Kinkade said. “It’s been a really active session for me.”

Kinkade is chairman of the Wildlife Fisheries and Parks Committee.