Today marks the 46th calendar day of the 2022 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature. Members have completed one half of this third year in their current four-year term. Earlier in this session, Senate members had proposed a pay raise bill that would be effective for legislators who serve after this term.
Senate Bill 2794, authored by Senator David Jordan (D-Greenwood), would have provided a salary increase of $6,000 in the first year of the next legislative term and a $4,500 increase for the remaining years of the term. The measure passed through the Appropriations Committee and on the Senate floor, but a motion to reconsider held the bill for further discussion after its passage. The bill died on the calendar for lack of action on that procedural move. Legislators currently have a base salary of $23,500, plus session per diem and mileage throughout the calendar year.
This week, both the Senate and House Appropriations Committees passed out appropriations bills in advance of the February 23 deadline for floor action on bills with a revenue feature. Every year, the appropriations bills are divided so half of the budget originates in each chamber. The bills are then passed off the calendar of the originating chamber and sent to the opposite chamber for further work. Both the House and Senate funded all the agencies at the Legislative Budget Recommendation approved in November 2021. This means that the Legislature has close to $4 billion in unallocated funds that the legislative leaders will appropriate, save and cut via tax cuts.
On Wednesday, the Mississippi Economic Council revealed its economic report, which offers several suggestions on areas of potential growth for the state’s business community. Scott Waller, president and CEO of MEC, emphasized the importance of supporting workforce development to retain and improve the availability and preparation of qualified workers in Mississippi. The five key issues stated in the “Securing Mississippi’s Future” report include developing a world-class workforce, increasing the number of qualified workers, improving infrastructure, adding jobs and maximizing healthcare opportunities.
On Thursday, the Senate Medicaid Committee held a public hearing regarding House Bill 658 that pertains to deleting the freeze on provider reimbursement rates and establishing for review of the proposed rate changes. The hearing was chaired by the committee’s chairman, Sen. Kevin Blackwell (R-Southaven). Division of Medicaid Executive Director Drew Snyder was given the opportunity to provide an update and clarify the intent of the bill, after the bill had been passed as amended last Thursday by Representative Becky Currie (R-Brookhaven). The amendment added language that would prohibit the Division of Medicaid from executing a contract or making capitated payments for services with any entity that has executed a settlement agreement above $50 million with the State of Mississippi. The language also stated that the bill would direct the Division of Medicaid to select a Mississippi nonprofit corporation, in addition to the managed care entities with which the division has contracted with as of January 2022, to provide Medicaid services on a capitated basis under a managed care program implemented by the division. Director Snyder stated that the amended language of the bill by Rep. Currie would be “hazardous” and would subject roughly 300,000 Medicaid beneficiaries to rapid changes in services. The public hearing was well attended by members of the public, putting even more of a spotlight on ramifications of the amended bill. The deadline for committees to report general bills originating in the other house is March 1, so further debate and discussion of the language in the bill is anticipated to continue over the next week and a half.