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Senate committee backs bill to create entertainment industry workforce task force
Summary
The committee voted to report out Senate Bill 2424, which would create an entertainment industry and workforce development task force to study ways to grow Mississippi’s creative economy, drawing support from tourism officials and several senators.
Senate Bill 2424, which would create an entertainment industry and workforce development task force, was reported out of committee after members voted in favor of sending the measure on for further consideration.
The bill would establish a task force charged with examining methods to grow Mississippi’s creative economy and to increase revenue derived from the entertainment industry, according to material presented to the committee. The measure’s sponsor said the goal is to position Mississippi for increased opportunity in the creative economy.
Rochelle Hicks, a representative of the Mississippi tourism department, told the committee the state is promoting its music heritage under a new brand and marketing campaign. “We’ve adopted the brand of My Perfect America Music,” Hicks said, adding the campaign includes highway signage, a television spot and an international video project produced with Playing for Change.
Several senators voiced support and noted the state’s musical traditions across regions. “I have to represent my folks, and we have great music down on the coast,” said Senator Wiggins. Senator Norwood also voiced support and said he hoped protections for artists would be part of the lawmaking conversation about the industry and new technologies such as artificial intelligence.
The committee chair called the motion “titled sufficient to pass,” and members voted to report the bill out. The record in the transcript shows the motion was approved by voice vote and the bill will be sent forward for further action.
The measure as discussed in committee focuses on creating the task force and directing it to study workforce and revenue opportunities for Mississippi’s creative sector; specific membership, deliverables, timelines and any funding for the task force would need to be determined in subsequent proceedings.
No formal mover or seconder was named in the committee record provided, and the transcript does not record a roll-call tally of individual votes.
