Parents call on Lawmakers to expand items on Mississippi’s tax free weekend

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – JC Penney store manager John Gorman has hired extra help for the upcoming tax free weekend.

He knows from experience, that some customers will have questions about what items are included in tax free weekend.

“The state allows us to include clothing items $100 or less, along with footwear $100 or less,” Gorman said.

Backpacks, notebooks and other classroom staples are not included in Mississippi’s tax free weekend, even though many of those items are on neighboring state tax exempt lists.

Back to school shoppers we spoke with say they plan to take advantage of Mississippi’s tax free weekend for clothes and shoes.

They also believe adding more items such as backpacks, paper, pens, computers and other school supplies makes sense.

“It’s a part of going back to school.  The more money saved the better,” said Robert Taylor, of Columbus.

“It definitely would because it’s part of the school items, I feel like, it would be good to have,” said Birthia McNeil, of Holly Springs.

Lawmakers approved legislation in 2009 specifying which items would be tax free and in recent years, calls to expand the list of tax free items has grown.

“It’s a good chance it might need to be revisited at this point, to add items the public demand or that would be beneficial to strengthening the overall goal which is to help working families get what they need and move forward,” said Rep. Steve Holland , (D) District 16.

“We would always have to look at it, depending on the circumstances of what is included. You’ve got a lot of items included right now, and even including some clothing items for sports related things, work clothes,work uniforms, things like that,” said Sen. Gray Tollison, (R) District 9.

Representative Tracy Arnold was in Jackson earlier this week, drafting a bill to expand exemptions for back to school items.

Representative Arnold says the House has passed similar bills in the past, but they have failed in the Senate.

The tax free holiday starts at midnight Friday and goes until midnight Sunday.