By John Corley 

The deadline to consider revenue and appropriations bills that originated in the Senate occurred this week.

Among other things, these bills detail how much money will be appropriated to a number of different state boards and departments.

These include the Department of Revenue, the Department of Public Safety and the Institution of Higher Learning.

Most of these appropriations and revenue bills will be discussed in conference, a period during which representatives and senators will work together to finalize numbers in each bill.

As the 2018 legislative session winds down, changes to House bills are being “concurred” upon and the bills sent to the governor to be signed into law.

Among these is the Gestational Age Act, which would limit abortions to up to 15 weeks of pregnancy instead of 20 weeks.

Between these last two weeks of session, legislators will work through the weekend to also finalize changes on any general bills that were amended and require further discussion from both sides.

During session on Tuesday, the House presented former Representative Tyrone Ellis with House Concurrent Resolution 26. The resolution commended Ellis for his 38 years with the Mississippi House of Representatives. Ellis officially retired on June 30, 2017.

On Tuesday evening, a new member was elected to the House. Fred Shanks of Brandon was elected representative of House District 60 after the seat was vacated in December of 2017. Among visitors to the Capitol this week were members of the Mississippi Library Commission, the Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Red Cross and the Mississippi Alliance of State Employees.