The 2023 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature is more than two-thirds complete. Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives are nearing the final, and often most contentious, days of this 90-day session. As bills are continuing in the legislative process, many are being referred to conference committees for further negotiations. Also, leaders of the bodies are having discussions on the state’s budget and how dollars will be appropriated for the next fiscal year.

On Tuesday, the Senate amended and passed House Bill 1369. HB 1369 received significant attention after Senate Education Committee Chairman Dennis Debar (R-Leakesville) indicated that the bill would be used as a vessel to fully fund the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP), the state’s education funding formula for public K-12 schools. Some technical changes for calculating numbers and allocation of funding were made by the Senate amendment, but the bill passed unanimously with none voting present. The bill now heads back to the House for concurrence or nonconcurrence. Unless the amended bill is concurred on by the House, the final language will have to be determined in conference committee as the legislative session moves forward.

A piece of legislation that would have created the Mississippi Capitol Region Utility Authority died on the House calendar on Wednesday. Senate Bill 2889, authored by Senator David Parker (R-Olive Branch), was an attempt to create a regional board authority that would presume power over the City of Jackson’s water, wastewater, and storm water after the federal receivership is terminated by the United States District Court to “ensure access to safe, clean and reliable water for the citizens of Central Mississippi”.

On Thursday, the House amended and passed SB 3120. This bill calls for a Fiscal Year 2024 appropriation to the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) for certain infrastructure expenses. SB 3120, as passed by the Senate, called for a total appropriation of $620 million to be appropriated to MDOT. The breakdown of that funding would be as follows: $480 million for the Department to use for defraying expenses of certain capacity projects listed in the MDOT three-year plan; $100 million for contribution to the Emergency Road and Bridge Fund (ERBF); and $40 million dedicated to the 2022 Infrastructure Match Fund. SB 3120 was amended in the House by a strike all amendment inserting similar House language but making a total appropriation of $800 million. This amendment calls for an investment of $650 million instead of $480 million to be dedicated to defraying costs associated with projects in the MDOT 3-year plan. The House language also dedicates $10 million to be appropriated toward the Multi-Modal Transportation Improvement Fund. The funding associated with this bill comes on the heels of Governor Tate Reeves announcing his massive infrastructure and site development plan that called for $1.3 billion in transportation and infrastructure investment. The final language and numbers of SB 3120 are expected to be hashed out as the appropriations process moves forward.

With just three weeks to go in the 2023 Legislative Session, the ‘money committees’ are doing the work of balancing a budget and spending available revenues.  Because the state has billions in reserve, the Legislature has indicated that they will not issue bonds and will reamortize some of the issued debt in an effort to pay down the state’s bonded indebtedness. As a result, the Appropriations Committees are doing the work of two committees to ensure that projects are funded statewide before legislators go home to campaign.  This week, the Legislature took procedural measures to begin the negotiations process early on revenue matters. Next, all eyes will turn to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee which could meet to revise the revenue estimate.

Another responsibility of the Legislature is to confirm appointments made by Gov. Tate Reeves to various state boards and agencies. This week, the Senate Finance Committee confirmed several people who recently were appointed or reappointed for service. Sen. Josh Harkins (R-Flowood) chairs the committee and led the proceedings. Those confirmed for the Mississippi Home Corporation Board were Aimee Robertson (Gulfport), Hue Townsend (Belzoni), and Reed Nelson (Madison). Those confirmed for service with the Mississippi Business Finance Corporation Board were Brad Wood (Hattiesburg) and Brian Johnson (Madison).