Speaker Jason White says House will consider redistricting during 2027 legislative session
By Michael Goldberg | Originally published by Mississippi Today
House Speaker Jason White said on Wednesday that his chamber would consider redrawing Mississippi’s electoral maps as he announced the formation of six new House select committees to develop policy plans ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
One of the six committees will focus on “the current districting processes and legal considerations, ensuring Mississippi remains prepared to address future reapportionment with transparency, fairness, and adherence to constitutional requirements,” White’s office said in a news release.
The announcement came less than a week after the U.S. Supreme Court gutted part of the Voting Rights Act and opened the door for states such as Mississippi to eliminate majority Black electoral districts. The court’s landmark Louisiana v. Callais decision places Mississippi and other Southern states at the center of a national partisan and racial political battle over redistricting.
President Donald Trump is urging Mississippi officials to redraw the state’s four congressional districts as part of his national push for Republican states to flip Democratic districts to the GOP in this year’s federal midterm elections. But Mississippi has already conducted primary elections for congressional races, so to redraw the districts, state lawmakers and the governor would have to take the extraordinary step of invalidating the primary elections.
Some Republicans have called for lawmakers to collapse the district of Rep. Bennie Thompson, the only Democrat and only Black member of the state’s congressional delegation.
White’s announcement also came just under two weeks before lawmakers are set to return for a special session ordered by Republican Gov. Tate Reeves to redraw state Supreme Court districts, a move prompted by an earlier federal court decision and the Callais decision. It’s unclear how the majority-white, Republican-dominated Legislature would redraw the court districts, but several legislators predict they will be redrawn to make them whiter and dilute Black voting strength.
Select committees typically convene several times, with hearings stretching into the summer and fall. White’s announcement of a select committee to study redistricting ahead of the 2027 legislative session could indicate lawmakers won’t move to redraw congressional and legislative maps at the special session on court redistricting scheduled for later this month.
Last year, White formed a select committee on “voters’ rights,” with the Legislature ultimately failing to adopt proposals to restore the state’s ballot initiative process and restore suffrage to people convicted of some crimes.
The new 16-member redistricting committee will consist of 11 Republicans and four Democrats. It will be co-chaired by Republican Reps. Noah Sanford and Kevin Horan.
The committees, which the speaker and lieutenant governor typically form in between sessions, offer an early view of the priorities legislative leaders will aim to advance during the regular session. The 2026 legislative session ended less than a month ago, with the House and Senate failing to agree on a wide range of key issues.
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has not announced select committees for the state Senate yet.
White said his chamber would continue its effort to study and address structural issues facing the state.
“Whether it is ensuring government operates more efficiently, evaluating our tax structure, strengthening our judicial system, or improving how specialized educational institutions serve Mississippi families, these committees will help shape meaningful legislation that reflects our commitment to responsible governance,” White said.
In addition to the redistricting committee, the five other select committees announced on Wednesday by White are:
- The Select Committee on Government Efficiency, which will “review opportunities to streamline state government operations, reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, and identify ways taxpayer dollars can be used more effectively and transparently.
- The Select Committee on Property Taxes, which will “examine Mississippi’s property tax framework, explore reforms that provide relief to homeowners and businesses, and evaluate long-term strategies to ensure fairness and sustainability in local government funding.”
- The Select Committee on Judicial Operations, which will “focus on the structure and administration of Mississippi’s court system, reviewing efficiency, access to justice, court resources, and opportunities to improve judicial processes statewide.”
- The Select Committee on Consolidation, which will “evaluate opportunities for consolidation” within K-12 public schools, community colleges and the Institutions of Higher Learning.
- The Select Committee on Specialty Schools, which will “study Mississippi’s specialized educational institutions and programs, examining opportunities to strengthen educational access, improve outcomes, and ensure students with unique talents and needs receive the highest quality support and instruction.”
The two select committees focused on education could portend a 2027 legislative agenda that continues the House’s efforts to reshape the state’s K-12 education system. Most of those efforts failed in 2026
“By beginning this work now, we will enter the next legislative session with clear priorities, well-developed policy solutions, and a continued focus on advancing commonsense conservative leadership for Mississippi,” White said.
This article was originally published by Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Source: Original Article
