Mississippians would be required to show proof of insurance under a bill the House approved Wednesday.

Liability insurance is already required to operate motor vehicles in the state, but the House Bill 319 would require drivers to show proof before they can renew their car tags.

Debate lasted for nearly an hour, mostly due to questions from Rep. Adrienne Wooten, D-Jackson, who said the bill was designed to enrich the insurance industry.

Rep. John Hines, D-Greenville, handled the bill and said he believed it was solid legislation and that the House Insurance Committee Chairman Gary Chism, R-Columbus, was attempting to do the right thing.

The bill passed 82 to 33.


We want to hear from you!

Central to our mission at Mississippi Today is inspiring civic engagement. We think critically about how we can foster healthy dialogue between people who think differently about government and politics. We believe that conversation — raw, earnest talking and listening to better understand each other — is vital to the future of Mississippi. We encourage you to engage with us and each other on our social media accounts, email our reporters directly or leave a comment for our editor by clicking the button below.


Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

Ryan L. Nave, a native of University City, Mo., served as Mississippi Today's editor-in-chief from May 2018 until April 2020. Ryan began his career with Mississippi Today February 2016 as an original member of the editorial team. He became news editor August 2016. Ryan has a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Missouri-Columbia and has worked for Illinois Times and served as news editor for the Jackson Free Press.