Gov. Tate Reeves will call a special session sometime next week after lawmakers failed to pass a budget to fund state agencies earlier this year.
The Republican announced on Friday that leaders in the House of Representatives and Senate, specifically House Speaker Jason White and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, have finally come together with a unified plan to approve an operating budget for Fiscal Year 2026.
According to Reeves, the unspecified budget that has been reached is one that “does not materially increase state spending” and will set the state up for continued wins in economic development.
“Now that we’ve reached an agreement on the budget, today I informed Lieutenant Governor Hosemann and Speaker White that I intend to call a special session for the middle of next week,” Reeves said, per a press release. “The proposed budget does not materially increase state spending, is fiscally conservative, and will help us to continue Mississippi’s historic economic momentum.”
The announcement from the governor comes after a contentious regular session featuring the enactment of a typo-riddled income tax bill that soured relations between the two chambers in the capitol. Budgetary infighting also reached an apex when members of the House did not show up to Jackson during conference weekend to iron out a proposal.
Since then, it appears that tensions have cooled and lawmakers are ready to get back to Jackson.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done to reach this agreement. I’d like to thank Mississippi’s legislative appropriators for working diligently throughout the budget negotiation process,” Reeves continued. “I’m excited to get the special session completed and look forward to quickly passing the budget. I will provide more updates next week.”
Mississippi’s taxpayers will have to foot the bill for the upcoming special session, and Reeves has assured taxpayers that he does not want legislators in the capitol long. It costs more than $100,000 daily in public money each time lawmakers gavel in to carry out business.
Aside from the budget, Reeves did not say Friday if he will be including other topics or not. Last month, Reeves said other legislation that failed during the regular session, such as legalizing mobile sports betting, allowing more school choice options, creating a “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” and reforming the state’s certificate of need laws, may be included.
