Legislature ends special session
May 29, 2025 – The Mississippi Legislature’s special session ended Thursday with passage from both Houses on a $7.135 billion state budget. The votes have been passed and now the fallout begins after a session that first had agreement from the House of Representatives on Wednesday, followed Thursday by the state Senate.
Gov. Tate Reeves, who called for the special session when the chambers failed to reach agreement during the regular session ending in April, said the two sides worked diligently to find an agreement.
“They found an agreement that met my specific criteria and passed it while minimizing costs of a Special Session, Reeves said on social media. “And, yes, in the very few instances where final decisions were made that didn’t meet those criteria, I will use my constitutional authority to address them.”
Reeves said the budget is conservative, stating, “It keeps us in the best financial shape in state history. It prepares us for more tax relief for our people by eliminating the income tax, and it ensures we maintain our momentum with investments in workforce development, economic development, and permitting.”
Agreements did not come easily. The bills were sent by the House to the Senate in the early morning hours Thursday, with reports of some contentious floor debate that included a shouting match between Speaker of the House Jason White, a Republican, and Democratic state Rep. Zakiya Summers (D-Jackson).
Senators worked through the day Thursday, finally wrapping up their work about 6:15 p.m.
At the conclusion of the special session, Speaker White expressed disappointment that the Senate did not act on some of the House priorities.
“We are disappointed in the Senate leadership for not supporting worthy projects for cities and counties,” White said in a statement. “We believe Mississippians find their tax dollars well spent when bridges are built, roads are repaired, and sewage issues are addressed in their hometown. The House will not go along to get along with establishment politicians.”
White said the House is now focused on the 2026 legislative session and the House “will maintain its stance that the budget should be developed early and in an orderly manner with transparency.”
White said a priority for the next session will be addressing the Public Employees’ Retirement System.
“As the Governor reiterated a House position in his press conference on Tuesday, a one-time cash infusion to PERS does very little to address the retirement system’s financial challenges,” White said. “The House has proposed an annual dedicated stream of revenue for PERS for the last two years, and we will continue to push policies that stabilize and secure our commitment to current and future state retirees.”
In the Senate, minority leader Sen. Derrick Simmons (D-Greenville) expressed Democrats’ disappointment in the process, explaining why the Democratic caucus voted “No” or “Present” on budget bills during the special session.
“They reflect a deep concern regarding the continued lack of transparency and inclusiveness in the budgeting process,” Simmons said in a statement. “The people of Mississippi deserve a legislative process that is open, accountable, and representative of all communities in our state. Unfortunately, in this special session, critical budget decisions were made behind closed doors with minimal input from many legislators and no input from members of the Senate Democratic Caucus. This approach not only undermines the principles of good governance but also erodes public trust in the legislative process.”
Simmons said the votes were a stand for a better process.
Gov. Reeves will now have 15 days to act on the bills that passed the Legislature during the special session. Reeves can sign the bills, line-item vetoes. or allowing the budget to become law without action.
