Rep. Mark Formby of Picayune was recently nominated to serve on the Workers’ Compensation Commission by Gov. Phil Bryant.
If confirmed, Formby is expected to finish the 2017 legislative session before filling the new role.
After serving District 108 for 25 years, Formby said the transition is “bittersweet” but moving over to the commission is an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
“I love the politics of politics,” Formby said. “I’m leaving a job that I love, to begin a new chapter in my life.”
In those 25 years, Formby said he has written several pieces of legislation concerning workers’ compensation that are now law.
“I’ve been promoting workers’ comp reform since 1993,” he said. “I’m a student of workers comp, but I still have a lot to learn.”
If confirmed by the Senate, Formby will have to pivot to enforcing the law, not making it, he said.
The position will begin in the middle of April. With his term ending in December 2022, a special election would be required to fill Formby’s seat in District 108, which represents parts of Pearl River County.
“I am confident that service will continue as a member of the Workers’ Compensation Commission. His experience as a small business owner and knowledge of the issues affecting workers and employers make him the perfect choice, and I am delighted he has accepted this appointment,” Bryant posted on social media last week.
The position will fill the seat of current chairman Liles Williams.
Though Formby said he doesn’t “like to count my chickens before they’re hatched,” he said his past experience with the commission would make for a smooth transition.
“I’m sure I will be very comfortable,” Formby said.
Formby is set to appear before the Senate Finance Committee where a vote will be held on his nomination, before sending him to the full Senate for a final vote.
“I have political friends, and I have political foes,” Formby said, adding that he is preparing for the tough questions ahead.
The Workers’ Compensation Committee supervises claims under the state Workers’ Compensation Law created in 1948, the department’s website states.
Formby is currently the chair of the House Revenue and Expenditure General Bills committee. He also serves on the Education, Energy, Insurance, Marine Resources, Public Utilities and Ways and Means committees.