There was breaking news tonight!  The House and Senate conferees have agreed and signed the 2010 Budget Restoration bill that has been in conference.  The most important information in SB 2495 for us is that the Highway Patrol originally had only $765,198 in the bill to help finish out the budget year which runs through June 30. Tonight, that amount now stands at $1,765,198!  Now that the conferees have done an incredible job of putting this conference report together, the bill must be passed by both the House and Senate!  It then will go to the governor.  Hats off to Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant and Speaker of the House Billy McCoy and the following conferee members as their names appear on the conference report for SB 2495:  Senators Alan Nunnelee,  Doug Davis, and Terry Burton; House of Representatives Johnny Stringer, Cecil Brown, and George Flaggs, Jr. Be sure to call your House and Senate member to ask them to support the bill, and THANK THEM for their support of Mississippi Troopers.  Please click on the bill number at the end of this article to read the bill in its entirety.    SB 2495

Today, Governor Barbour presented his executive budget for 2011.  The budget recommendation for the state’s top law enforcement agency:  MHP - $45,434,998 FY11 request, ($3,950,869) reduction from 2010 budget, 8% less than last year; DPS - $3,526,425 FY 11 request, ($480,876) reduction from 2010 budget, 12% less than last year; MBN - $10,900,450 FY11 request, ($947,865) reduction from 2010 budget, 8% less than last year.  Here is a snapshot of what is outlined in his 27 page report that was presented to the legislature and public; much of what is requested requires legislative approval.   “…agency heads (given) maximum flexibility to manage and right-size their agencies including lump sum budgeting for all. State agency heads need the ability to streamline their departments free from the encumbrances of the State Personnel Board for two years.” “We can save up to $18 million by suspending for one year the “STEP” salary increase teachers automatically receive based on years of service. …Also by holding STEP pay for a year, we can continue to fund the National Board Certification program ($60,000 over 10 years for teachers who pass the boards) to prevent those teachers from taking an additional pay cut.” “The Department of Public Safety will reduce its non-law enforcement workforce and contract employees. I propose shifting the Department of Transportation Enforcement Division to DPS. Officers in both agencies perform similar functions, and there is no reason for such duplication. This will improve the public’s safety on the state’s highways and roads. We have as many troopers at the highway patrol as when I took office in 2004. As much as I would like to increase the number of new troopers, I do not believe the state can afford a trooper school in the coming year.” “My budget exempts district attorneys and trial judges from any cuts…  we cannot shortchange the state judicial system and its mission to help law enforcement entities put criminals behind bars.”  “To weather these budget constraints, every agency should be allowed out from under the restrictions of the State Personnel Board for at least two years, which will allow directors to right-size their organizations.”  Also included in the report were school district consolidations, university consolidations, suggested changes to PERS employee contributions, Medicaid, Mental Health, and other recommendations.  Please keep in mind that the budget and most all other recommendations will require legislative approval.

On Wednesday, September 23, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) appeared before legislative leaders to present their budget requests to be considered in the upcoming legislative session.  Commissioner Steve Simpson told legislators at the budget hearing that he wanted a shortened trooper school so that former law enforcement officers could go through an abbreviated trooper school.  According to the Clarion Ledger article “Tight Budget Stumps Leaders,” on September 24, Simpson said, “about 70 troopers have retired or left since the state last held a trooper school in 2007. He said a new trooper school is ‘very badly needed.’  Simpson said he’s discussing the possibility of allowing certified, trained law enforcement across the state to join the Highway Safety Patrol without participating in the required 22-week training class.” He is also requesting an additional 30% increase in the DPS budget, more PINS for the Bureau of Narcotics, and more funds to hire a state medical examiner.  According to the same article referenced above, Simpson also said “an increase on fees for driver’s licenses, gun permits and registration for sex offenders also would help the department. The number of hours that troopers spend on the road would be ‘the last measure to be affected as a result of a budget cut.’”

There have been numerous phone calls this morning regarding the posting of your David R. Huggins (11 hour) and the fact that this pay has not shown up yet on the on-line site.  Relax - the money is going to be there as the legislature mandated.  Your base pay does not change.  The David R. Huggins (DRH) money is coming as a separate check, and therefore should show up later on the on-line system for your pay similar to how call backs are posted. Remember, you should be getting the DRH money back to July! One can therefore assume that you will get a separate lump-sum check for July, August, and September for the DRH money.  Then, your October check should be for that month’s DRH money. Please remember, your DRH check will be separate from your regular, monthly pay check.  If you have additional questions, please contact the Office of Administrative Operations at DPS.   Thanks for your patience and understanding, and be certain to thank your legislators for working so diligently in making sure that you are now getting compensated for the David R. Huggins Act!