With the previously scheduled adjournment date of the 2022 Regular Session set for April 4, earlier this week the Legislature extended that timeline by postponing Sine Die adjournment until April 6 via House Concurrent Resolution 89. However, on Friday, with additional time needed to complete their work on conference reports for appropriations and revenue bills, the chambers passed HCR 90, which will extend the session until Sunday, April 10.  This provides the required minimum number of days prior to Sine Die adjournment. Legislators were not able to finish negotiations on many conference reports before the original deadlines for those reports to be adopted. After the Legislative Session adjourns Sine Die, another summative newsletter will be distributed.

House Bill 770, the Mississippi Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, is now headed to Governor Tate Reeves’ desk for his approval and signature. The bill, sponsored by Representative Angela Cockerham (I-Magnolia), seeks to prohibit an employer from paying a wage at a rate less than the rate at which an employee of the opposite sex in the same establishment is paid for equal work, a performance of which requires equal skill, education, effort and similar working conditions. Mississippi is the last state to pass equal pay legislation.

An attempt to revive the state’s ballot initiative process happened this week as conferees continue debating the final language of HC 39. Part of continuing negotiations is determining how many registered voters are needed. The intent of the resolution is to allow state citizens to change or amend general law instead of the state constitution. If passed and approved by Gov. Reeves, the resolution would have to go on the ballot in November for approval by registered voters in Mississippi. The Mississippi Supreme Court invalidated the state’s ballot initiative process last April.

Legislators spent this week introducing and passing redistricting plans for both the House and Senate. Joint Resolutions 1 and 201, the redistricting resolutions for the House and Senate, respectively, were passed in both chambers. There was debate on the Senate floor by Senator Chris McDaniel (R-Ellisville) in which he questioned and challenged the changes to districts that have been moved within the state. Legislative redistricting is a mandatory process which occurs every 10 years as a result of the United States Census where congressional and legislative districts may be changed dependent upon population increase or decrease and other factors.