McLendon releases legislative agenda for session
State Sen. Michael McLendon (R-Hernando) on Tuesday unveiled an expansive 2025 legislative agenda centered on public safety, government accountability, education reform, and economic relief for Mississippi families. The package includes more than a dozen major proposals that McLendon says reflect concerns he hears “every day from families, parents, educators, and first responders.”
Public Safety and First Responder Support
A key component of the agenda is the Save Our Badge & Shield Act, which would end the current Tier 5 retirement structure for law enforcement officers, firefighters, and first responders. The bill creates a separate public‑safety retirement tier aimed at improving recruitment, retention, and long‑term workforce stability.
McLendon is also introducing the Mississippi Glacier (ICE) Act, offering state grant funding to local law enforcement agencies that participate in the federal 287(g) program, allowing trained officers to assist with immigration enforcement involving criminal offenders.
Child Protection and School Accountability
The senator plans to advance the Whiteside Accountability Act, establishing a statutory recall process for school board members who engage in conduct that undermines student safety, including actions that minimize or defend sexual crimes against minors.
Stimulation for the act and its name comes from public outcry against a DeSoto County Schools board member who wrote support for child sex offender Lindsey Whiteside during her sentencing earlier this year. Currently the board member, Michele Henley, can not be removed or recalled from office, despite continued calls for her to resign.
Another proposal, the I Believe Act, would require local school boards to vote on policies allowing voluntary daily prayer and Bible reading in schools. Districts that fail to adopt a policy could lose up to 25 percent of their state funding.
Annexation, Governance, and Political Bias Review
McLendon’s agenda includes the Anti‑Forced Annexation Act, which would prohibit municipalities from annexing county residents or property without the consent of affected property owners or a majority vote within the proposed annexation area.
“Nobody should wake up one morning and find out a city just grabbed their property, raised their taxes, and changed their representation without a vote,” McLendon said.
To address political polarization, McLendon plans to introduce the TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) Study Act, directing lawmakers to examine how extreme political bias may influence public institutions, policy development, media, and government decision‑making.
Education and Workforce Measures
Education remains a central focus through the Teacher Pay Competitiveness Act, which would raise teacher salaries by at least $7,500 to move Mississippi closer to the southeastern regional average.
The Protecting Mississippi Jobs Act seeks to limit the use of H‑1B visa labor by restricting state incentives and contracts for employers who displace American workers. The bill prioritizes U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents for high‑skilled jobs.
Economic Relief and Constitutional Protections
The Grocery Tax Elimination Act would repeal the state sales tax on groceries, allowing families to keep more of their income while lawmakers pursue long‑term revenue solutions.
McLendon is also introducing the No Sharia Law / School Choice in Mississippi Act, which bars courts from enforcing foreign laws that conflict with the U.S. or Mississippi Constitutions and prohibits school‑choice funds from supporting instruction that violates state law or constitutional protections.
Recognition Resolution
The senator will also propose a resolution designating September 10 as Charlie Kirk Day in Mississippi, honoring the conservative activist’s work in grassroots engagement and youth civic participation.
McLendon’s Closing Message
“This agenda reflects what I hear every day from families, parents, educators, and first responders across our state,” McLendon said. “Mississippians want safe communities and schools, accountable leadership, and a government that works for them — and that’s exactly what these proposals are designed to deliver.”
