Mississippi News

By Sophia Paffenroth | Originally published by Mississippi Today Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the

Legislators in Mississippi failed to redraw high court districts amid legal challenges, while passing bills on immigration enforcement and education policy ahead of session’s end.

State lawmakers approved roughly $200 million in additional Medicaid funding for the coming fiscal year and advanced a $35 million deficit appropriation for the current year, lawmakers said Sunday.

The Trump administration’s ‘God Squad’ granted an exemption allowing oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, citing national security concerns amid rising energy prices and global tensions.

Allen Siegler, a mental health reporter, is among 42 finalists for the 2025 NIHCM Awards for his investigation into Mississippi’s use of opioid settlement funds. The awards recognize excellence in health care reporting.

Hinds County prosecutors discovered body camera footage showing a deputy administering a Breathalyzer to a defendant six days before trial, prompting suppression and dismissal motions in a case that left two women dead.

Jarvis Dortch of the ACLU of Mississippi said a pending Supreme Court decision in a Louisiana case and efforts in Congress could undermine the Voting Rights Act and roll back gains in voting and redistricting.

A Senate Rules Committee shelved a last-minute Republican resolution that would have reversed two majority-Black Senate districts created after a federal court ruled the state diluted Black voting strength.

House Speaker Jason White said legislators are close to an agreement on pharmacy benefit manager regulation and may ask Gov. Tate Reeves to call a one-day special session later this week if they finalize a deal.

Mississippi legislators have advanced a bill to change how the state allocates opioid settlement funds, removing restrictions on local government spending and increasing legislative oversight.