Government Affairs

During Mississippi’s Legislative Session, MMA deploys its team of registered lobbyists to the State Capitol in Jackson to work on behalf of our members. There are 122 members of the House of Representatives and 52 members of the Senate, with nearly 80 standing and select committees set up to debate legislation. During a typical 90-day session, more than 3,000 bills will be introduced, of which several hundred could have a direct impact on business and industry in our state.

Working in conjunction with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), our government affairs team is very active at the federal level as well. We regularly communicate with our Congressmen and Senators and their top staffers on critical legislation that is moving through the process in Washington, DC. Our main focus is to ensure that the voice of Mississippi manufacturers is heard in the halls of the U.S. Capitol and the regulatory agencies that impact our members.

Mississippi Congressional Delegation

United States Senators

United States Representatives

The Mississippi Manufacturers Association Political Action Committee is one of the largest and most active in the state. Resources donated to the MMA-PAC are directed to support business-friendly legislators, judges and statewide officials. The MMA-PAC has a 10 member board that is separate from the MMA Board of Directors. All MMA members are eligible to contribute to the MMA-PAC. If you are interested in donating or participating, please contact Kelly Wright at kwright@mma-web.org or 601-292-1117.

MMA works with a wide ranging group of state agencies and regulatory entities to protect the interests of our members. While recognizing that certain regulations are essential to free enterprise, this must be balanced with a common sense approach that helps businesses comply without being overly burdensome. Below are some of agencies that we work with on a regular basis:

• Mississippi Development Authority (MDA)
• Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)
• Mississippi Department of Revenue (MDOR)
• Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES)
• Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT)
• Mississippi Public Service Commission (MPSC)

The MMA Government Affairs team acts as an information clearing house for MMA members. They are dedicated to assisting with any issue or concern.  Inquiries from members cover a wide range of topics that include, but are not limited to:

The subjects include:

• Labor and Employee Relations
• Wage and Hour
• Safety
• Environmental
• Taxation
• Transportation

Routine questions are often answered by the MMA staff, but other questions may require a call to a regulating agency or government office. These calls are regularly made without identifying the company which is requesting the information.

If the question is more complex or legal in nature, and needs to be answered by a consultant or an attorney, the MMA staff can identify or suggest appropriate representation. The MMA works closely with numerous qualified professionals in many areas of practice who can assist our members with a variety of needs.