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NEWS February 12, 2012 Mississippi Senate to debate smoking ban "If I own a business, I should be able to choose whether or not I want to have a legal activity within my establishment," Watson said. February 11, 2012 Bill would permit virtual charter schools in state "I'm more concerned with making sure we have educational options to meet the needs of all students than I am with taking money from traditional public schools." February 4, 2012 Ocean Springs restaurant owners form business association "That's the way it's set up," Watson said. "As long as it's to promote tourism, they can advertise for businesses. It's just up to the city." January 24, 2012 The state legislature is exploring what options they might have to limit the Governor's ability to give pardons. MPB's Daniel Cherry spoke with Senator Michael Watson (R), the chairman of the Senate Constitution Committee. January 23, 2012 Senator pushes charter school bill "I really think we're going to have great shot this year at getting meaningful charter school legislation passed," Watson said. January 23, 2012 Mississippi Lawmakers Considering How to Limit Pardoning Power "We just think these issues have brought forth a real concern that citizens have and we need to deal with those in a different way." January 22, 2012 Sen. Michael Watson, Chairman of the Senate Constitution Committee, researching pardon amendment "I want as much information as possible when we sit down to craft this amendment," Watson said, noting he's working closely with Gov. Phil Bryant on the amendment. January 22, 2012 Pardons making history, but what’s the cost? January 15, 2012 Watson added, "Any time you amend the Constitution, it is a big deal. You want to make sure you get it right." January 13, 2012 "We want to make sure we're targeting folks who really have no business being pardoned," Watson said. January 12, 2012 Bryant supports reducing governor's clemency powers “I have met with Sen. (Michael) Watson, with the speaker of the House and (Speaker Pro tem) Greg Snowden and briefed the lieutenant governor,” Bryant said this morning. January 9, 2012 Pascagoula Sen. Michael Watson proposes drug testing welfare recipients "Our system is abused," Watson said. "Across the state, lawmakers have big hearts and truly want to help people, but we want to help people who also want to help themselves." January 7, 2012 Senators from Pascagoula gain appointments from Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves "I'm disappointed that the coast, as a whole, didn't get a louder voice on the chairmanships." January 2, 2012 Some social programs may feel GOP squeeze "For people who fall on hard times, I think we should help them out," Watson said. "Let's get you turned around and on your feet." December 17, 2011 South Mississippi legislative delegation speaks "A lot of time the better superintendents are not the best politicians,” Watson said. September 26, 2011 Fresh faces from coast to give new look to Mississippi Senate "That's the beauty of Mississippi having a citizen legislature, people coming from all walks of life and all kinds of backgrounds," Watson said. August 20, 2011 NOMA screens post-Katrina education documentary 'The Experiment' Lemoine explains in the film, “the principal usually decides those things based on what works best for that one school, so that person sets the salaries, picks the books, and creates the curriculum.” July 18, 2011 Billy Hewes vows to tap Michael Watson if elected "He has proven time and again that he is not afraid to take on a good fight for a good cause," Hewes said. "He will play a role in my administration if I'm elected." July 13, 2011 Hewes reveals picks for key Senate posts Hewes said the people he announced Tuesday have integrity and would provide conservative, principled leadership. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, would be appointed Judiciary A chair and Michael Watson, R-Pascagoula, would fill the Education chairmanship.
July 4, 2011 Mississippi illegal immigrant transportation case: Woman faces 10 years U.S. Attorney John Dowdy said in an email that Mississippi has major interstate systems and has become "a significant pipeline to the rest of the country for human traffickers coming from the Mexican border." June 26, 2011 Combating domestic violence: South Mississippi leaders to study growing problem, tweak laws "I'm setting up statewide meetings with district attorneys and law enforcement officers," Watson said. May 30, 2011 Edward Boland, 11, was a Senator for the Day last week when he accompanied state Sen. Michael Watson, R-Pascagoula, to Jackson to take care of a little legislative business. May 4, 2011 Explosion of Excellence program honors 169 Jackson County graduates, who receive scholarships When asked what his message was to the seniors, Watson said, "to be indispensable, be it as a friend, as a family member or at your job. I am really challenging them to be excellent at all that they do, so try to be your best no matter what the task is." March 11, 2011 Redistricting 2011: Pascagoula council calls for one representative, one senator "I'll still gather all the facts and make a decision I think is right based on those facts," Watson said. March 10, 2011 Editorial: Hard to keep ahead of the new drugs MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATORS have acted promptly to ban the latest in designer drugs as law enforcement tries to keep mind-altering chemicals from being sold over the counter.
February 10, 2011 Editorial: Watson's charter schools bill due passage in House "I believe charter schools will open the door to a brighter future for many children," he said Tuesday. We agree. January 28, 2011 Senate passes law banning 'fake bath salts.' "This is the 21st century way of dealing drugs," Albritton said. "You just take a chemical put it in what appears to be a legitimate product. Label it not for human consumption to get around the Food and Drug Administration and sell it." January 24, 2010 No charter school organization "is going to look at that law and say, 'Hey, this is a great opportunity for us,' " Watson said. January 21, 2010 Ban on meth-mimicking 'salts' passes state Senate committee "People also need to know that the mark up on these is higher than some illicit drugs," Watson said. January 9, 2010 'Bill to ban "bath salts" to hit Mississippi Senate floor Watson said Mississippi lawmakers want to stay ahead of the designer drug epidemic and following Louisiana's lead is the next step. November 12, 2010 Coast residents will be watching energy issues "The Gulf drilling moratorium was a shining example of the administration's penchant for never letting a good crisis go to waste and using its regulatory powers capriciously." November 10, 2010 Budget, education, insurance take center stage at quarterly legislative breakfast in Pascagoula "We're going to have to make some tough decisions." Sen. Michael Watson, R-Pascagoula October 12, 2010 Young professionals from Indonesia get taste of Mississippi politics Watson said such political programs help emerging leaders gain valuable perspective. September 4, 2010 Statewide ban on synthetic marijuana signed by Gov. Haley Barbour Watson said originally the bill called for harsher penalties -- one tenth of an ounce would have been a felony -- because the drug is more potent and far more dangerous that marijuana. August 28, 2010 Mississippi lawmakers snuff out Spice Research has shown that synthetic cannabinoids are more potent than tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana," Watson said. August 15, 2010 Charter: KIPP alternative's viableGov. Haley Barbour earlier this year signed into law a watered-down public charter school law. August 9, 2010 Washington trip focuses on drilling moratorium "It's important to paint the picture that we don't need any more job loss on the coast," said Watson, R-Pascagoula. June 21, 2010 Jackson County District Attorney Tony Lawrence wants Spice banned in cities, county State Sen. Michael Watson, R-Pascagoula, tried to pass a law banning the incense during this year's session, but the bill didn't get out of committee. June 15, 2010 Panic does no good in responding to oil spill Make no mistake about it. BP has ruined our way of life here on the Gulf Coast; and when the time comes, it will pay for its transgressions.
May 28, 2010 Senate committee including Moffatt, Watson appointed to assess oil spill response efforts March 29, 2010 Charter School Bill Hits Governor's Desk "I think it's an injustice if you leave a child in a failing or under-performing school district as is," said Sen. Michael Watson. March 28, 2010 "The whole idea is we never have one of these (charter schools)," Brown said. Interesting quote. He tells everyone he is a fan of public Charter schools, yet he hopes we never have one. March 27, 2010 Editorial: A charter school that broke the mold This is what a public Charter school is capable of. Too bad we can't have one.March 26, 2010 Lawmakers from nation's fattest state shed pounds, fried foods This is a great article about our workout program. Take a look at the guy right under the coach's elbow, he's the only one not stretching. February 21, 2010 Jackson County sheriff deputies could get radar guns "The small inconvenience of some deputies having a radar gun would be worth the lives it would save," Watson said. February 10, 2010 Senate passes charter school bill with no limits Watson said that under the bill, the charter school would have to outperform the traditional public school or it would be shut down. February 10, 2010 Charter school bill passes Mississippi Senate; moves forward to House "This is another tool to make education better." February 5, 2010 Mississippi Senate pushes sex offender bill through "One of our most important jobs as legislators is making sure we are protecting those who can't protect themselves," he said. January 5, 2010 Legislators from Jackson and George counties bringing local concerns to session Watson said his "cornerstone" issue for the session is charter schools. December 11, 2009 “Every chance I get to honor a veteran I take it,” Watson said. November 20, 2009 Emergency service workers honored as community heroes "Your efforts to protect us will be rewarded, because what you do for the least of these, you do for God," he continued. "Nothing you do is taken for granted by our Heavenly Father." October 22, 2009 EES Fourth Grade Students Learn About Our Government EES Fourth Grade students welcomed Senator Michael Watson to the school, and listened attentively as he spoke to them about his job as a Mississippi state senator. October 13, 2009 Letter to the Editor As I walked door to door to meet voters two years ago, people repeatedly expressed their concern with the growing illegal immigration problem facing the United States. I was already aware that this was a substantial issue at the federal level, but voters told me that Mississippi cannot wait for the Federal Government, we must act on our own. As soon as I was elected, I started researching affective measures taken by other states and finding what we could do to improve upon some of the best ideas around the country. This researched formed the basis for my bill, Senate Bill 2988. Fortunately, I was able to gain considerable help of other concerned legislators, namely Senators Chris McDanial and Lee Yancy, while Lt. Governor Phil Bryant also lent his strong support. We decided to craft a piece of legislation that not only addressed those who come to our country illegally, but also those employers who lure illegal immigrants here to exploit them by paying substandard wages for their work. The bill works by simply requiring employers to run new employees through the federal E-verify database to determine if they are legal residents. Employers have had the opportunity to use this data base for some time and many concerned employers did. Unfortunately, most did not. I am proud to report that we passed Senate Bill 2988 and Governor Barbour signed it into law. After listening to the concerns of small businesses regarding the cost of implementing E-verification, we developed a solution. The timeline for implementation is stair-stepped to allow for unforeseen problems to be worked out before affecting the small business community. The legislation directs that employers with more than 250 employees had to register with E-verify by July, 1, 2008; those with 100-249 employees by July 1, 2009. Businesses employing 30-99 employees are given until July 1, 2010 to register and employers with fewer than 30 employees have until July 1, 2011 to comply. Despite the phase-in, the results have been immediate and staggering. So far this year, more than a quarter million employees have been checked through the E-verification database- 10 times more than those who were checked before the bill was passed. The Federal Department of Homeland Security, which maintains the database, says they have never seen numbers like these. As a result of the passage of Senate Bill 2988, Mississippi has the toughest anti-illegal immigration legislation in the nation and has become the model for other states to follow. As of now, 14 states have E-verification legislation. The best result is that now there are more jobs in Mississippi for legal residents. With the tough economy faced by our state and nation, the E-verification legislation is in place when we need it most. August 17, 2009 Are charters schools a price of entry to reform? Eleven states have said no to charter schools, one of the education reforms President Barack Obama backs. They may soon be paying a penalty for that choice. July 30, 2009 Tax-free weekend begins Friday State Sen. Michael Watson, R-Pascagoula, co-authored the bill and said Thursday that he will push to widen it to school supplies next session.
March 14, 2009 MDOT should be subject to oversight The Mississippi Department of Transportation must not be beyond the rule of law, and thankfully there are at least a dozen members of the state Senate who are trying to assert their chamber’s duty to oversee a critical aspect of MDOT’s operation. March 09, 2009 If Mississippians hear the case for charter schools, they're likely to agree with him that "one size does not fit all" students. March 07, 2009 Charter schools bill passes Senate heads to House
March 05, 2009 Charter school increase effort revived If the amended bill passes the Senate, it will return to the House for approval. March 2, 2009 Senator Watson is pushing for state-funded charter schools. He said they would give students a chance to excel when their educational needs don't fit the traditional mold. February 23, 2009 Some lawmakers share governor's stimulus money concerns Michael Watson said that although the initial benefits of the stimulus are undeniable, it's important to look at the offer critically. February 21, 2009 In Mississippi, give charters a chance February 15, 2009 Chevron tax bill is killed again The issue first failed in the Senate on Tuesday 25-20, and again Friday 30-9. Senate Bill 2797 cannot be resurrected this legislative session, according to operating rules. February 11, 2009 Senate kills Chevron tax bill, but it could come up again "What between then and now has changed to make this law unfair?" Watson asked. "You thought it was fair then, why change it now?" February 09, 2009 Bill targets illegal immigrants with fake IDs Sen. Michael Watson, a Republican from Pascagoula, said last year's raid on Howard Industries revealed some of the practices surrounding illegal immigration in the workplace. February 04, 2009 Chevron tax split to Senate February 02, 2009 County officials fail to back bill Watson said helping residents who are hurting the most was the bill's aim, but he would be willing to make adjustments for smaller counties. February 01, 2009 11th hour for Governor pardon bills in state legislature "Anytime you can address an issue that brings up such bad memories and touches such a nerve that enrages the entire community, then we've got to do something," Watson said about the pardoning issue. February 01, 2009 February 01, 2009 It's time to open door for public charter schools January 30, 2009 Warning: High rates imperil the state
January 27, 2009 Bill on charter schools passes
January 10, 2009 "In these tight economic times, we still wanted to help the people that are hurting the most," Watson said. "Hopefully, down the road when the economy turns around, we'll be able to do this for everyone." January 08, 2009
January 01, 2009 State senator experiences China December 30, 2007 May 23, 2008 SPOTLIGHT ON THE MISSISSIPPI EMPLOYMENT PROTECTION ACT
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