As the 2024 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature winds down and both chambers are focused on clearing their respective calendars, most of the real work this week was accomplished behind the scenes in leadership meetings. Negotiations are on-going between the House of Representatives and the Senate on several key priorities, the result of which will factor into determining budget numbers and plans for special projects around the state. The Legislature may not convene over the weekend but are working towards wrapping up the Session by the end of next week, as long as everything can stay on track.
This week’s most crucial negotiations still revolved around a potential compromise on the public education funding formula. Speaker Jason White (R-West) drew a line in the sand last week saying that the House would not appropriate additional monies to the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) and earlier this week Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann went on the radio and in front of business groups criticizing the House’s Investing in the Needs of Students to Prioritize, Impact and Reform Education (INSPIRE) plan. For several days it looked like there would be no changing of position from either chamber, but by mid-week discussions were being conducted on potential middle ground. As a reminder, Speaker White and House leadership have said that if a compromise cannot be reached, they will adjourn without an education budget or a project bill and force Governor Tate Reeves to call the Legislature back for a Special Session some time before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1st.
As the end draws near, negotiations also continue on the topic of Medicaid expansion, or “access to healthcare.” This week, the business community officially joined the conversation with the heads of the Mississippi Economic Council (MEC), the Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA), and the Business and Industry Political Education Committee (BIPEC) authoring a letter to Speaker White encouraging him and his leadership to continue working toward a solution. In the letter they stated, “Access to healthcare is not just about individual health, but about the well-being of our entire community. It means a healthier population, a healthier workforce, and an improved quality of life, all of which contribute to stronger Mississippi communities.” In addition to those three organizations, several other groups have been at the Capitol this week holding rallies and press conferences in support of Medicaid expansion. With the business community weighing in, it is clear that a majority of Mississippians support some type of push towards expanding access to healthcare, especially in more rural parts of the state.
As we close out the week, there is definite progress toward finding compromises on key issues between the House and Senate. However, tensions are still high and at any moment negotiations could stall. While Legislators remain optimistic about the possibility of adjourning by the end of next week, the tone will be set on Monday when both chambers reconvene after the weekend.