Weekly Legislative Update: 2.10.25
MS Lawmakers Debate DEI, School Choice, Other Issues
Face Thursday Deadline for First Floor Debates on General Bills
The House and Senate pushed through emotional and partisan debates last week over legislation that would prohibit DEI initiatives, and they began looking at education changes such as allowing students to move to schools outside of traditional districts. The first major deadline that required bills to clear a committee vote killed 1,642 bills, and your attached bill report should be much shorter now. Lawmakers, who return to Jackson on Monday afternoon, face a deadline of Thursday for initial consideration of general (non-fiscal) legislation, and they have calendars stacked with bills dealing with topics ranging from Medicaid to energy to public procurements. You can view the House calendar of bills here, and view the senate calendar of bills here.
School Choice Bill Clears the House
The House passed HB 1435 in a 67 to 46 vote, setting the stage for K-12 students to transfer to public schools outside their home districts without needing approval from their current district. Supporters say it gives families more options, while opponents worry about funding and fairness. The bill now heads to the Senate for the next round of debate.
Lawmakers Push to Limit Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs
The Legislature is moving forward with bills that would scale back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. HB 1193 would apply to K-12 schools, community colleges, and universities, while
SB 2515 focuses just on higher education. Both bills would ban certain diversity training programs and prevent schools from requiring diversity statements in hiring. Each chamber will now take a look at the other’s proposal.
Key Health Legislation
While both chambers appear to have paused any push to expand Medicaid (awaiting guidance from the Trump Administration), they do appear on track to update the current Medicaid program. Earlier this year, the House approved a narrow set of amendments on Medicaid in HB 1148 that were requested by administrators to meet federal compliance; the Senate version
SB 2867 is more far reaching, including increasing services for things like autism and eyeglasses, to name just a couple. On certificates of need, the House appears to be more aggressive, pushing HB 922 to remove certificates of need requirements on most sub-acute hospital level services – such as residential treatment facilities. The Senate version, SB 2681, is more limited in scope, focusing instead on allowing reimbursement at some locations for services currently prohibited. Differences on all those issues and more are likely to be hammered out in a conference committee later in the Session.
Efforts to Restore Voting Rights Gain Momentum
A bill that would change Mississippi’s strict voting laws cleared the House Constitution Committee and is now up for full House debate. HB 940 would update the state Constitution to remove some nonviolent crimes from the list of offenses that lead to a lifetime voting ban. If passed, these changes would make it easier for some Mississippians to regain their voting rights.
Mississippi Redraws Some Legislative Districts
Lawmakers are beginning to move forward to comply with a federal court mandate to redraw state legislative districts in 2025 and hold special elections to fill certain seats. The Mississippi NAACP had challenged the 2022 redistricting maps, saying they diluted Black voter strength. In response, the House passed HB 1544 in an 80 to 33 vote, creating a new majority-minority district in House District 22 and tweaking four others. The Senate has yet to release its own redistricting plan. You can read more about the plan and see the map here.
Senate Approves Study on Sales Tax Distribution
The Senate unanimously passed SB 2582 which would create a Sales Tax Diversion Study Commission. The commission will look at how sales tax revenue is split between the state and cities and find ways to fix any gaps. Senator David Parker is leading the effort, and the eleven-member group will present its recommendations before the 2026 legislative session. The bill now moves to the House for consideration.
In other news:
State Tax Revenues Bounce Back
Mississippi’s tax collections improved in January, helping make up for a December shortfall. The latest report shows the state brought in $56 million more than expected, narrowing the budget gap to $24.6 million. Sales and corporate taxes performed well, though individual income tax revenue dipped as the state moves to a flat four percent income tax. Meanwhile, Governor Tate Reeves is still pushing to eliminate the income tax altogether, but the Senate has not yet taken up the House’s tax plan.
Campaign Cash Shows Early Signs of the 2027 Race
With Governor Tate Reeves and Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann both term-limited, the 2027 election race is already taking shape. Reeves, who once had $10 million in campaign funds, still has just over $2 million; Hosemann, who has signaled a potential run for governor, has $1.6 million after raising $1.5 million in 2024.
State Auditor Shad White has the biggest campaign fund so far with $3 million, ahead of Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who has $400,000 less. Secretary of State Michael Watson is expected to run for higher office, possibly Lieutenant Governor, and has $1.5 million in campaign funds. Meanwhile, two candidates have already jumped into the Secretary of State race for 2027, State Senators Joel Carter and Jeff Tate, with $347,000 and $155,000 in their accounts, respectively.
Next Deadline
Thursday, February 13 – ORIGINAL FLOOR ACTION on general bills and constitutional amendments originating in OWN HOUSE
This update provides a snapshot of the legislative action and issues moving through Mississippi’s Capitol as the session kicks into high gear. Stay tuned for additional developments and updates throughout the week.
Full deadline calendar can be found here
