House Democrat – not Phil Bryant – created sales tax holiday

PHIL BRYANT

As Republican gubernatorial candidate Phil Bryant swings across the state taking credit for this weekend’s sales tax holiday, Better Mississippi Report wants to set the record straight.

Other than serving as president of the state Senate, Bryant had NOTHING to do with the legislation.

State Rep. Percy Watson, a Democrat from Hattiesburg and chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, sponsored the sales tax holiday legislation. He and other Democratic Party leaders in the House are the reason this passed and became law.


Below is as news release state House leaders issued today. It explains it all in detail.

JACKSON (Monday, July 25, 2011) – Mississippi residents across the state will save money when they buy back-to-school clothing for their children on Friday and Saturday, July 29 and 30, during the state’s third Sales Tax Holiday.

Retailers will not charge the state sales tax on clothing and footwear that cost less than $100 an item. While geared toward helping families prepare their children for the upcoming school year, the sales tax holiday also applies to adult clothing and footwear.

“This is a great way to help ease the financial burden of parents as they prepare their children to start a new school year,” said state Rep. Percy Watson, D-Hattiesburg, chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee and author of the 2009 legislation that created the sales tax holiday.

The 2009 bill, House Bill 348, suspends the state sales tax of 7 cents on the dollar for the purchase of clothing and footwear – including pants, shirts, blouses, dresses, coats, belts and shoes – that sell for less than $100 each. The sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 29, 2011, and ends at midnight Saturday, July 30, 2011.

The sales tax holiday does not apply to school supplies, computers, jewelry, handbags, wallets, backpacks and other similar merchandise. If residents purchase any of those items on Friday or Saturday, they must pay the full state sales tax.

Five cities in the state have chosen not to participate in the sales tax holiday: Bolton, Crenshaw, Enterprise, Heidelberg and Magnolia. People who purchase any goods and services in those cities – including items eligible for the sales tax holiday – must pay the full state sales tax.

“This event has been successful since its first year in 2009,” Watson said. “I’m glad that leaders and members of the state House of Representatives supported this and worked hard to see that it passed the state Senate and was approved by the governor. This kind of legislation helps everyone.”