The Mississippi House and Senate held the first conference to negotiate a final version of the bill which sets penalties for passing stopped school buses without resolving their differences.
The Senate passed a version of the bill, known as Nathan’s Law, but the House passed another version that took out some key components of the bill.
“Our stance is that the bill should remain in its original form,” said State Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-Ellisville), who filed the bill in response to the 2009 death of 5-year-old Nathan Key who was hit by a car after he got of a bus near his home in Jones County. “We know from proven research that the things outlined in the bill work.”
McDaniel’s bill said other motorists should stop at least 30 feet from a stopped school bus. The bill also stated that only hands-free cell phones could be used by motorists in school zones.
However, the bill passed by the House took out the 30-foot buffer zone and the limits on cell phone usage.
“We basically debated about things they deleted from the bill and gave arguments about why they should be a part of the bill,” said McDaniel. “The other side debated about why they should not.”
Joining McDaniel as conferees for the Senate were State Sen. Joey Filligane (R-Sumrall) and State Sen. Michael Watson (R-Pascagoula). The three were selected by Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant to negotiate the bill.
House Speaker William J. McCoy (D-Rienzi) selected State Rep. Ed Blackmon (D-Madison), State Rep. Bryant Clark (D-Pickens) and State Rep. Angela Cockerham (D-Magnolia) as conferees from the House.
McDaniel said Blackmon is the lead negotiator for the House. “Basically what he says will be what the House goes with,” he said.
For now, conferees on both sides will prepare conference reports and meet again to see if they can resolve their difference and come up with a bill they can take back to the House for a vote before the current session ends in two weeks.
“We have not set our next meeting, but I’m thinking we will meet again Monday or Tuesday,” said McDaniel.
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Negotiations for final version of Nathan’s Law begin
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