The most recently legislative session was a victory for Vicksburg and Warren County, District 55 State Rep. Oscar Denton, D-Vicksburg, told Port City Kiwanis last week.

“We are having a good year, a good time I would say, in Vicksburg,” Denton said.

During the session, bills passed that would fund the extension of the South Frontage Road along Interstate 20, help fund a new museum downtown and allow voters to determine if the city wants to raise taxes in hotel rooms to help fund a sports complex, Denton said.

“I think we’ve done great things in the Legislature for the citizens of Warren County,” he said.

Of the state’s $6.3 billion budget, $259 million was set aside for bond projects, Denton said. Most of the projects seeking bond money were denied by the Legislature, Denton said.

“Everybody did not get a piece of that money. We were fortunate enough to get that money,” he said.

Denton also considered the defeat of a Republican-backed tax cut plan as a victory. House Speaker Phillip Gun, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Gov. Phil Bryant all introduced tax cut legislation. The complex plans differed widely between the three.

“To me I didn’t make any sense either because we’re the poorest state in the union. It would have taken something like $515 million out of our budget,” Denton said. “Everybody didn’t get what they wanted and needed so how can we afford to take money out of the state budget?”

Denton said he was also pleased that a ban on texting while driving passed and will go into effect July 1. He had authored a similar bill earlier.

“I know some of you young folks might not like that,” Denton said.

The session also had what Denton considers to be some failures and some things with mixed results. The biggest disappointment, he said, was the Legislature not funding a housing project at Mississippi Valley State University. The university sought $14 million for the construction of dormitories.

“They have children right now in trailers. That’s a shame. That’s a shame on all of us. We could not come together because of the leadership to even give them $7 million to get them started on one dormitory,” Denton said.

Denton said he was also disappointed by the Legislature passing Initiative 42-A, which is a counter measure to Initiative 42 sponsored by a group called Better Schools, Better Jobs group.

Better Schools, Better Jobs mobilized thousands of volunteers last year to collect signatures on petitions to put a proposed constitutional amendment on the November 2015 ballot. Initiative 42 would require Mississippi to fund an “adequate and efficient system of free public schools.” If legislators fail to provide that, the proposal specifies that people could ask a chancery judge to order the state to provide the money.

The state-sponsored 42-A of the initiative seeks to quash the initiative.

“The people went out and got over 400,000 signatures to put this on the ballot,” Denton said. “I felt like if the people have decided to force our hand, then the people have spoken. When the people speak, that’s who we’re supposed to listen to.”

Education funding got a boost this year, despite the Mississippi Adequate Education Program not being fully funded again.

“MAEP was not fully funded again this year, but they got a substantial increase because the rainy day fund is at its max — over $400 million,” Denton said.

Denton is running for re-election this term against challengers Chis Green and Arrick Rice.

Green is an attorney, and Rice is an employee of W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home.

If re-elected, Denton said he planned to introduce legislation to strengthen penalties for elected officials convicted of stealing public funds as a reaction to the conviction of former circuit clerk Shelly Ashley-Palmertree. He said he would also like to remove the ability of convicted elected officials to draw state retirement.

“That’s already in my book to do that,” Denton said. “When I learned that, I thought this is a shame that somebody who already stole money is going to get paid.”