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NATCHEZ — Attendees of the Natchez-Adams Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast Monday morning were treated to a debate on the issue of Mississippi’s income tax.

District 97 State Rep. Sam Mims V, R-McComb, and District 94 State Rep. Robert Johnson III, D-Natchez, see the state income tax issue differently and shared their opinions with the approximately 50 people who came to the Natchez Grand Hotel to meet and hear Natchez and Adams County’s state elected officials.

New State Sen. Gary Brumfield, D-Magnolia, who is participating in his first session of the legislature, said he is working to learn all he can about the workings of the State Senate.

District 37 State Sen. Albert Butler, D-Claiborne County, and District 96 State Rep. Angela Cockerham, Independent of Magnolia, did not attend.

Mims said the 2025 Legislative Session has gotten off to a good start.

“We passed the income tax relief bill by a bipartisan vote. Last week, we passed legislation for redistricting,” he said. “The economy in Mississippi is doing well and unemployment is at a record low.”

Mims said the state has more than $650 million in its rainy day fund.

On the other hand, Johnson said he is concerned a cut in the state income tax fund that amounts to $2 billion in a state whose budget is $7 million will leave the legislature unable to continue needed programs or with money to help cities and counties do what they need to do.

“We are all dealing with issues that take a lot of money. It takes money to get a new crane down at the port, but for a community like ours, that crane is something that drives a big part of what we do here,” Johnson said.

Those in the legislature who want the tax cut seem to be modeling the legislation after other states, like Texas, whose circumstances are not the same as Mississippi, he said.

“Nobody in the country has the revenue-producing economy that Texas has. We are not oil-rich. We are not gas-rich. Even though we have a lot of natural resources, ours do not generate the kind of revenue that they can play politics with,” Johnson said. “I am not against talking about an income tax reduction, but you can’t cut the income tax and have no ability to fill in that gap. Any tax cut needs to be revenue neutral so you don’t see needed programs just go away and issues in the city and the county that we can’t help with.”

He said he thinks the government has four responsibilities for residents: providing public safety, public transportation, public health, and public education.

“We are here to provide the services people depend on. If we do what we’ve just done, if the Senate doesn’t save our lives, we are going to end up with a cut in the budget where we really won’t be able to do the things we should do,” Johnson said.

Moderator Chandler Russ, executive director of Natchez Inc., asked Mims to address the issue of the state’s surplus in funds. He said the state’s rainy day fund has more than $500 million, and the state also has a surplus of $2 billion in the bank.

“How do you ensure that southwest Mississippi will receive its fair share of infrastructure spending,” Russ asked.

Mims said that money belongs to the taxpayers and should be given back to taxpayers in some form.

“Let’s figure out a way to get the money back to taxpayers,” Mims said. “The economy is doing well in Mississippi and the money belongs to Mississippians…For the last 12 or 13 years, every time we have brought up cutting taxes, the other side has said we can’t do that, whether it’s the franchise tax or the corporate tax or the income tax. Look what’s happened. Our economy in Mississippi continues to do well and great things are happening in Mississippi. So we look at what has happened in the past and we believe we can move forward and reduce taxes very responsibly and that’s what we plan on doing.”

Johnson responded that while Mississippi’s economy is growing, it is growing at one of the slowest rates in the country.

“Our economy is like 48th or 49th. The fastest growing is like 7 percent. Ours is 1.8 percent. Yes, it’s growing, but we are almost the lowest of anyone’s,” he said. “You just heard all the needs you have in Adams County and we can’t fill them. Look at the mental health needs we have in this state. We can’t hire mental health professionals. We can’t do Morgantown Road. We can’t four-lane Highway 61 all the way. Our law enforcement officers are grossly underpaid. As businessmen know, if you want to build something, you have to invest in it, and that’s not what we are doing.”

Brumfield said he is concerned about eradicating DEI in Mississippi.

“We want to level the playing field, but we want all to have equal opportunity to a profitable life and to prosperity. I think that’s the concern for all. Pray for us through these issues. We don’t want to go backward. We want to stay forward as a state and be attractive to individuals and retain our individuals,” Brumfield said. “Pray for us that we can make decisions for all and remember we are a reflection of God.”