Gov. Reeves calls special session
By Michael Goldberg | Originally published by Mississippi Today
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has ordered the Legislature to convene on Wednesday for a special session to reform Mississippi’s youth court system after lawmakers failed to act during their regular session months ago.
Reeves made the announcement in a social media post on Tuesday afternoon, exactly 24 hours before he ordered lawmakers to return to Jackson. The special session is necessary because statutes relating to youth court expired on June 30. Reeves said lawmakers have reached a deal to “create a far better system,” indicating they will be passing some reform measures and that they are prepared to pass the measure quickly.
“The agreed upon solution (as proposed and agreed by House and Senate leadership) sets up a far better system for both kids who are abused and neglected, as well as those children facing delinquency proceedings,” Reeves said. “For the first time, children and families will have access to full-time judges and moves us toward a uniform youth court system statewide.”
Reeves did not offer additional details on the apparent agreement, but he said he was optimistic that both Republicans and Democrats would support the legislation.
Lawmakers debated a youth court reform bill during their 2026 regular session. The reform package also contained a measure extending the “repealer” in existing law on how confidential youth court records can be shared between courts, state agencies, attorneys and law enforcement.
When a repealer, or sunset clause, is included in a state law, the law or a section goes away on a specified date unless the Legislature votes to reenact it. Because the Legislature didn’t pass a measure extending the repealer, those confidentiality measures and other youth court laws expired.
The state Supreme Court issued an order earlier this month that state officials said will allow youth court business to proceed as usual. That order expires on July 24, but the Court could extend that order.
The special session will begin Wednesday at 3 p.m.
This article was originally published by Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Source: Original Article
