Car tags in Mississippi typically cost between $300 and $700 a year. In the first year, a car tag can sometimes cost between $800 and $1,500. Cross the state line into Arkansas or Alabama, and the same car tag will cost you about half as much.
Put aside, for a moment, what this says about car tags. What does it say about Mississippi politics?
This is a state where voters consistently elect conservative leaders at every level of government. And yet we still end up with some of the highest car tag costs in the country.
Sadly, it is not just car tags where Mississippi seems to end up with rather less than the full-flavor conservatism voters thought they were buying.
Mississippians elect lawmakers in the expectation that they will be conservative. It is why both the House and the Senate have solidly conservative majorities. But when it comes to the laws those majorities actually pass, things are not always as conservative as you might expect.
Listening to some Republicans in the Senate kill the school choice bill in 84 seconds, you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching progressive lawmakers in Massachusetts or Minnesota.
Under the Mississippi constitution, you — the voter — are entitled to a direct say through the ballot initiative. Due to changes in the number of congressional districts, the old trigger mechanism was ruled defunct. Rather than restore it — which is what you would expect from conservatives who trust the people — our Senate leadership has consistently killed every effort to bring it back.
There have, of course, been some important wins. Labor deregulation in 2021. Flat tax reform in 2022, thanks to Speaker Gunn, which paved the way for the income tax elimination law passed in 2025. This session, too, saw an important step toward repealing red tape in healthcare — the certificate of need law, an intentionally protectionist relic.
But part of the problem is this. With local media struggling, politicians know that no one is really holding them to account for what they actually do. So long as they turn up at the right events and post the right photos on social media — hunting trips, club suppers — they get assumed to be conservative. Even when they vote rather more like a Kamala Harris Democrat.
The good news is that there is now a tool that lets you see how your lawmakers actually voted.
The Mississippi Freedom Index has just launched. At MississippiFreedom.com, you can see how your local representative voted on the key issues of this session. You will notice that there are only two key bills tracked — because, frankly, this session only produced two clearly conservative measures. And even then, a large chunk of the Republican caucus failed to support them.
Take a look. You can also pull up campaign finance reports for each lawmaker, so you can see who is supporting them.
Like the cost of car tags, one of the great Mississippi mysteries is why a state that votes so consistently conservative so seldom sees fully conservative policy.
It is also important to recognize those genuinely principled leaders in our state — like Speaker Jason White — who have shown real conservative leadership when it counted.
The first step in getting more of them, and fewer of the Kamala kind, is knowing the difference. MississippiFreedom.com is how you find out.
This post was authored by Mississippi Center for Public Policy President Douglas Carswell.
MCPP sponsored this post.
14 comments:
MDOT gets like 80% funded by the federal government. That means the taxpayers in wealthier states like Virginia, Colorado, and Florida are really paying for Mississippi’s roads. Same with just about everything else. The MSGOP brags about a balanced state budget. But those Mississippi-democrats-in-denial are still spending some else’s money.
The money has to come from somewhere. Either the sales tax is higher, gas tax is higher or some other fee. In some states around us the gas tax is 10-20 cents more so each time you fill up you pay $2.50 more, x 4 times a month x 12 equals $120 a year more. Over 5 years that's $600 in costs.
Apathy, fearmongering and misinformation are killing our country, nationally and statewide.
I disagree with the first step. The first step is getting rid of Democrat Delbert.
There is no "tax elimination" in Mississippi. The legislature only shifts the burden from one tax category to another so they can beat their chests about reducing taxes. To borrow a phrase from 'The Sopranos', "It's a TV program. A movie."
"It is also important to recognize those genuinely principled leaders in our state — like Speaker Jason White"
Principled meaning whoever pays him the most he pushes for their principles?
Douglas Carswell is having a major impact on Mississippi and our tax reforms. Mississippi has a way to go. Maybe he can bring in more people from the UK to help us. MS seems to be lacking real conservative leaders. RINO’s rule unfortunately.
He should investigate frontage roads that make influential political fatcats happy next.
1,000% true. In 10 years the taxes will be shifted to other categories along with more chest beating.
A palm filled with grease is needed. That's all.
taxes were the catalyst for our revolution. they will be again. taxes are laws against nature
Almost all of the cost is ad valorem tax, which rates do vary by location. Folks in cities get the honor of paying city taxes on top of the county and school tax everyone pays. (Just as they do on their house) As automobile prices have doubled, and given the tax rate is based upon valuation, wouldn't one expect the associated tax to also double? Matching the payment of the ad valorem tax with the auto registration is simply a tool to assist in compliance, that I do not think all states utilize - hence some states have much smaller "tag" costs as they are only for registration. The ad valorem or use tax bill comes separately.
Now, would it be nice to receive relief? Of course, but 1) if one can afford a $70,000 car, the ad valorem tax, although unpleasant, should be manageable, and 2) the money must come from somewhere.
Never let it be said that Carswell lets the whole story get in the way of sensationalism.
Once again, this is a dishonest argument that fails to disguise between sales tax/ title transfer and vehicle registration.
Mac @12:20
But with a gas tax at least the people who are using the roads are paying for them. Grandma pays $675 for her tag and drives 10,000 miles per year. Jr. Pays $675 for his tag and drives 125,000 miles per year. Obviously Grandma is not damaging the roads nearly as much as Jr, but they pay the same. Car tags should cost $50 and increase gas tax so the actual users of the roads pay for them. Car renters and out-of-state driving through MS also help(they don’t buy car tags)
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