The 2023 Mississippi Legislative Session is nearing the end. The session is two-thirds complete as Senators and Representatives work to finish this final year of their legislative term. A bill that would significantly expand the boundaries of the Capitol Complex Improvement District (CCID) in Jackson is headed to conference for further negotiations. On Tuesday, the Senate declined to concur on Senate Bill 2343, authored by Senator Joey Fillingane (R-Sumrall), which effectively sends the bill to conference where three conferees from each chamber will decide the final language. SB 2343 will join another CCID related bill, House Bill 1020, authored by Representative Trey Lamar (R-Senatobia), in conference. The Senate and House continue to work on HB 1020 which seeks to solve public safety issues in Jackson by implementing new civil and criminal courts specifically for jurisdiction within the CCID.

This week, the Senate began working on getting nominations for boards and various other positions out of committee and onto the Senate calendar for consideration. One of the most important appointments is approving the nomination of the new State Superintendent of Education. Governor Tate Reeves has tapped Dr. Robert Pernell (Doc) Taylor for the position. Dr. Taylor, a Laurel, Mississippi, native and University of Southern Mississippi graduate, was vetted and recommended by the State Board of Education. On Wednesday, the Senate Education Committee held a hearing where members of the committee were able to ask questions directed to Dr. Taylor and also ask questions about the selection process. Dr. Taylor and Rosemary Aultman, chairman of the State Board of Education, fielded questions and concerns from Senators for nearly three hours. Further consideration and questioning may be considered as his nomination has not made it out of committee yet. The full committee meeting can be viewed here.

On Thursday, the Senate Business and Financial Institutions Committee met with Senate nominees for various boards such as the Board of Banking Review, the Board of Contractors, and the Board of Funeral Service. The nominations for the Board of Banking Review included Tammy Renee Phillips (Brandon, MS) and Phillip Roger Blaylock (Madison, MS). The nominations for the Board of Contractors included Timothy Clayton Allred (Meridian, MS), Norris Lee Carson (Carthage, MS), and Ora Lee Sims II (Hattiesburg, MS). Nominations for the State Board of Funeral Service include David Chadwick Riemann (Gulfport, MS) and Sandra Tingle Chancellor (Madison, MS). All of these nominations passed with motions of advisement and consent to be passed out of committee and placed on the Senate Calendar.

The Ports and Marine Resources Committee considered the nominations of Ronald N. Daniels (Pass Christian, MS) and Jonathon Scott McClendon (Biloxi, MS) to the Advisory Commission on Marine Resources. The Environmental Protection and Conservation Committee handled the nomination of Brenda Joyce Lathan (Columbus, MS) to the Commission on Environmental Quality. All three of those nominations were passed out with motions of advisement and consent of the members of the committees. All Senate nominations that were passed out of committees now sit on the Senate calendar for further consideration on the Senate floor.

In preparation for the end of Session deadlines, the Legislature is attempting to get some of their work done early and send bills to the Governor’s desk for signatures or vetoes. This week, Gov. Reeves took action on 76 bills. Of those bills, two were vetoed. The first was SB 2224. This bill was vetoed because it allowed the Commissioner of Insurance to set rates and the Governor’s legal counsel deemed the bill unconstitutional. The second bill vetoed was SB 2622, which attempted to reform prior authorization of medical procedures. In the Governor’s veto message (attached), he states that while this reform is necessary and worthwhile, the bill has some serious problems with how it functions.

Gov. Reeves also signed into law a bill that would extend Medicaid coverage to new mothers for 12 months. Previously, the Mississippi Division of Medicaid only provided coverage for two months. Mississippi now joins most states in allowing this coverage. This legislation extends coverage to 60% of Mississippi families who currently are receiving benefits from Medicaid. The policy change also marks a political shift in how Mississippi Republicans are thinking about family care and publicly funded health insurance.

By the end of this week, the Legislature moved past the deadlines to send bills to conference or to the Governor for his consideration. Now begins the sprint to make final changes on general bills, craft and balance a budget, and adjourn Sine Die by the scheduled date of April 2. It is suspected that the Legislature will be finished by the end of this month, and thus sending everyone home with a few days to spare.