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Good morning Jack,
We made it through the first day of the Mississippi legislative session, and just like that, the Capitol is buzzing again.
Over the next few months, lawmakers will debate, negotiate, amend, and vote on policies that directly impact Mississippi families, workers, and businesses. Keeping up with what’s happening under the dome can feel overwhelming, especially when things move quickly and change by the hour.
That’s why I’m excited to introduce Dispatch from the Dome, a new weekly update from the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. Each Wednesday during the legislative session, I’ll break down what’s happening at the Capitol in clear, straightforward terms. What’s moving, what’s stalled, and what matters most.
Today’s update is a simple one. We’ve officially kicked things off. Below is a snapshot of what’s happened so far in the House and Senate as lawmakers begin setting priorities and filing legislation that will shape the weeks ahead.
Let’s dive in.
** House Update
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As of the close of Day One, the House had filed one bill so far, HB 1, which revises the number of chancellors in the Third Chancery Court. Other than that, things were fairly quiet on the policy front, which is pretty typical for the opening day of session.
That said, there’s already movement happening behind the scenes. Speaker Jason White and his leadership team held a caucus meeting on Day One focused on school choice, and there’s strong anticipation that the House will introduce its school choice legislation today (Wednesday, January 7th). We’re encouraged by what we’re hearing and will be watching closely as details are released.
** Senate Update
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The Senate wasted no time getting to work, moving quickly on several education-related bills on Day One. A handful of measures were introduced and have already cleared committee, signaling that education is shaping up to be a major focus early in the session.
Here’s a quick overview of what’s been filed so far:
* SB 2001 would provide pay raises for school teachers, assistant teachers, and college faculty.
* SB 2002 would remove the requirement that a student’s current school district approve a transfer before that student can move to another district. This bill is intended to be a "public-to-public" school choice option.
* SB 2003 revises current provisions for retired educators who want to return to work in the classroom.
It’s still very early, but the pace in the Senate suggests we’ll see continued movement on education issues in the days ahead. As always, we’ll be following these bills closely as they move through the process.
** What We’re Watching
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Because this is just the very beginning of session, many major policy priorities have not been formally introduced yet. At this point, we haven’t seen bills filed related to several Mississippi Center for Public Policy priorities, including certificate of need reform, broader school choice proposals beyond the Senate measures, or long-term budget policy.
That’s not unusual for Day One. Many of these conversations are still happening behind the scenes, and legislation often starts to appear more quickly once lawmakers settle into the rhythm of session.
We’ll continue keeping a close eye on what’s filed and will flag important developments as they happen.
** Track Legislation in Real Time
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Want to follow along as bills are introduced and move through the process? We’ve made it easy.
You can track key legislation throughout the session using the Mississippi Center for Public Policy’s bill tracker, which highlights proposals we’re monitoring and explains why they matter.
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Thanks for following along this week. I’ll be back next Wednesday with another update on what’s happening under the dome and what it means for Mississippi.
Until next time,
Anika Page
Director of Operations
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