Another legislative session is officially upon us as lawmakers prepare to gavel in on Tuesday. With it being the start of a new term and a hodgepodge of hot-ticket topics still needing to be discussed, here’s what to know about this year’s session.
When is the session?
The 2024 session will officially begin on Tuesday, Jan. 2 at noon. Due to it being the start of a new term, the legislature will convene for 125 days rather than the usual 90 days, meaning lawmakers should wrap business up by or during the first week of May.
Who will be the new House speaker?
While Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann will be back leading the Senate, the House will need to take care of business in electing a new speaker. With longtime House Speaker Philip Gunn choosing not to seek reelection, Speaker Pro Tempore Jason White has emerged as the frontrunner for the open seat. The Republican from West, who already has the full support of others within the party, should be a shoo-in as GOP members maintained a supermajority in the House following this year’s elections.
“I am humbled to be unanimously selected as the Republican nominee for the Mississippi Speaker of the House by the Republican Caucus,” White said in a statement after the caucus unanimously decided to back him during a November meeting. “Mississippi has made tremendous strides over the previous 12 years of conservative Republican leadership and has greatly prospered under Speaker Philip Gunn. I appreciate the trust my fellow Republicans have now placed in me as the nominee for speaker.”
Even though Democrats will submit a nominee heading into the vote, the chances of White losing are slim to none. Rep. Manly Barton, a Republican from Moss Point, is expected to take over as speaker pro tempore.
What will lawmakers be discussing?
This is the big question. As always, thousands of bills will be filed with hundreds making it to the floor for a vote. While we can’t predict every topic that’s bound to come up for discussion, we do know a few.
Medicaid expansion
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