Mississippi: Governor Endorses Statewide Building Code Bill; NAMIC Comments

Mississippi Republican Gov. Haley Barbour has come out publicly in favor of Senate Bill 2807, the bill that would create a statewide building code in the state.

In a Feb. 8 letter to Sen. Dean Kirby, chair of the Senate Insurance Committee that heard the bill, Gov. Barbour said that “if the Legislature passes Senate Bill 2807 in its present form, I will sign it into law.”

“Governor Barbour should be commended for taking a public stance on SB 2807,” said NAMIC Senior State Affairs Manager David Reddick. “This should help the lobbying effort now that the bill has passed the full Senate as amended and is before the House for consideration.”

SB 2807, as amended and approved on Wednesday, requires eight of the state’s most southerly counties to adopt the most recent codes for construction, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas and fire work. For the state’s remaining 74 counties, adopting the building code standards is optional.

Reddick admitted that while this is not the most ideal situation, the amended bill represents a “first step” and is now more likely to have less opposition among entities that oppose a mandated code.

In his letter, Gov. Barbour said that while not every area of the states is as vulnerable to hurricane force winds and flooding as the Gulf Coast, “other parts of Mississippi are susceptible to destructive forces such as tornadoes, fire, high winds, river flooding and earthquakes” and deserve the strongest, most cost-effective protection as well.

“While we respect Governor Barbour’s belief that it may be best for local communities to adopt strong building codes, protecting life and property needs to be of paramount importance during the state’s rebuilding efforts,” Reddick said.

The House’s bill on statewide building code legislation, House Bill 1406, has come out of the House Ways & Means Committee and was read for the third time on Feb. 2. Feb. 9 is the deadline for bills to move out of their House of origin.

NAMIC is a member of the Coalition to Build a Safer and Stronger Mississippi. Its members include: the American Institute of Architects/Mississippi, Associated General Contractors of Mississippi, Associated Builders and Contractors of Mississippi, American Subcontractors Association of Mississippi, Mississippi Concrete Industries Association, American Council of Engineering Companies, Institute for Building and Home Safety, American Insurance Association, Independent Insurance Agents of Mississippi, Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, Building Officials Association of Mississippi, Mississippi Fire Chiefs Association, Mississippi Fire Sprinkler Contractors Association, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, Mississippi Fire Fighters Association, American Architectural Manufacturers Association, Window and Door Manufacturers Association, Door and Security Manufacturers Association, Mid-South Building Material Dealers Association, Mississippi Chapter of Construction Specification Institute, Solutia, Inc. , Mississippi Section of American Society of Civil Engineers, National Concrete Masonry Association, Farmers Insurance Group, Mississippi Engineering Society, Mississippi Association of Home Inspectors, International Code Council, Mississippi Renewal Coalition, Mississippi Economic Council, WinDoor Windows and Doors, Guardian Industries, Inc., and Simpson Strong-Tie Co.

Source: NAMIC

Posted: Thursday, February 09, 2006 12:00:00 AM. Modified: Thursday, July 06, 2006 9:43:51 AM.

(317) 875-5250 - Indianapolis | (202) 628-1558 - Washington, D.C.

Contact NAMIC | Press | Advertise | Sponsor

We are 1,400 property/casualty insurance companies serving more than 135 million auto, home and business policyholders, with more than $196 billion in premiums accounting for 50 percent of the automobile/homeowners market and 31 percent of the business insurance market. We are the largest and most diverse property/casualty trade association in the country, with regional and local mutual insurance companies on main streets across America joining many of the country’s largest national insurers who also call NAMIC their home. More than 200,000 people are employed by NAMIC members.