Area legislators have filed their annual reports of contributions and expenses on time as required by state law.
Unless an elected official has filed a termination report, meaning he or she will take in no more contributions, that person must file an annual report, showing activity during the year.
The reports were due by 5 p.m. Jan. 31, according to the Mississippi Secretary of State's office. The reports cover Jan. 1, 2005 through Dec. 31, 2005.
Sen. Robert "Bunky" Huggins, R-Greenwood, reported taking in $3,900 in contributions.
Georgia-Pacific Corp. of Jacksonville, Fla., donated twice, $500 each time for an annual total of $1,000.
In Mississippi, Georgia-Pacific employs about 3,500 people at 20 plants including: two plywood plants at Taylorsville and Louisville; five lumber plants at Bay Springs, Columbia, New Augusta, Taylorsville and Tylertown; three particleboard facilities at Louisville, Eupora and Taylorsville; one thermally-fused melamine facility at Oxford, one oriented strand board plant at Grenada; one containerboard plant at Monticello; three chip mills at Columbus, Louisville and Taylorsville; two chemical plants at Louisville and Taylorsville; and one corrugated graphic packaging plant at Pelahatchie.
GEO Group Inc. also contributed $1,000 to Huggins last year.
The Boca Raton, Fla., group operates private prisons, including some in Mississippi. The company's Web site lists three Mississippi prisons: East Mississippi Correctional Facility in Meridian, Grenada County Jail and Marshall County Correctional Facility in Holly Springs.
Huggins is chairman of the Senate Corrections Committee.
Huggins also received $700 total from BellSouth employees' PAC, $500 from Mississippi Independent Pharmacy
Association in Jackson, $400 from the Mississippi Dental Political Action Committee of Jackson and $300 from the Mississippi Association of Home Care. Huggins didn't itemize any of his $260 in expenses. He reported he has $22,077 left in his war chest.
Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, reported a total of $2,200 in contributions for the calendar year 2005.
He received $500 from the Mississippi Political Committee in Bolton. The committee isn't registered as a political action committee or as a corporation with the Secretary of State's office.
However, that may not cause a problem in reporting, said David Blount, a spokesman for the Secretary of State.
"It just depends on who they are," he said.
Entities don't have to register with the Secretary of State if they're not corporations or PACs, said Blount. "Not if they just give money."
Anheuser-Busch also gave Jordan $500 through its Jackson distributor.
Jordan received another $500 from Valley Premises Corp. of Greenwood. That's a group of Realtors and brokers. Its president is listed on incorporation papers as Stewart Brumfield. S.R. Evans Jr. is listed as a vice president and director. The secretary-treasurer is Doris Brumfield.
Quitman County Development Organization Inc. of Marks donated $250 to Jordan. The organization deals with low-income housing. Its incorporators, according to the Secretary of State's office, are Ezra Towner of Marks, James B. Figgs of Marks and John Reed of Marks.
Jordan reported spending $2,781.70 last year. Most of that went toward newspaper and radio advertising. He reported having $5,231.42 cash on hand at the end of the year.
Over on the House side, Bobby Howell, R-Kilmichael, received $2,400 in contributions.
His largest contributors, of $500 each, were Georgia-Pacific Corp., Chevron/Texaco of Pasca-goula and BellSouth employees' PAC in Jackson.
Howell also took in $400 from the Mississippi Dental PAC and $250 each from the Mississippi Independent Pharmacy Association and the Mississippi Power Co. PAC in Gulfport.
Howell's expenditures totaled $4,447.07 for the year. They included a $300 donation to the Mississippi Republican Party. Howell reimbursed himself $744.40 for inaugural expenses. The rest of his itemized disbursements consisted of $200 each for local advertisement in programs, including Winona Christian School, the Christmas Fantasy sponsored by the Town of Kilmichael and for a banquet in honor of Dr. Katrina Poe, who won a national award for small-town physicians. Howell reports he has $9,645.23 in the bank.
Rep. Willie Perkins Sr., D-Greenwood, reported $1,650 in contributions. He received $500 each from the BellSouth employee's PAC in Jackson and from Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis.UST Public Affairs Inc. of Atlanta donated $250. UST Public Affairs is the holding company for subsidiaries
U.S. Smokeless Tobacco and International Wine & Spirits.
Other donations received by Perkins included $200 each from the Mississippi Dental Association PAC and the Mississippi Power Co. PAC.
Perkins reported spending $1,802.92 but didn't itemize any of those expenses. He has $1,213.93 in his campaign chest.
Rep. May Whittington, D-Schlater, reported receiving $900 during the calendar year. Of that, she itemized a $500 donation from the Mississippi Counselors PAC
The donation was intended as travel expenses for Whittington to go to Florida to accept a national award for legislation she introduced last year.
However, Whittington who is a cancer survivor, was undergoing chemotherapy at the time and couldn't make the trip.
Her expense report shows that she returned $500 to the committee. She spent $250 more last year, which wasn't itemized. Whittington reported $717.24 in cash at the end of the year.
