Week 2 of the 2026 Session is Complete
The second week of the 2026 Legislative Session has concluded, and activity at the Capitol increased notably as lawmakers returned on Monday to continue their work.
Legislative momentum accelerated this week, with the House filing over 1,000 bills and the Senate introducing an additional 167 measures, with more legislation filings expected to post over the weekend. As committees resumed regular meetings, policy discussions began to move more decisively from bill introductions toward substantive debate and early legislative action.
On Wednesday, the Senate unanimously passed a proposal directing $1 billion in state cash reserves into Mississippi’s public pension system over the next decade. The measure is intended to strengthen the long-term stability of the system and now advances to the House for consideration.
Perhaps the most significant development of the week occurred on Thursday, when the House narrowly passed its HB 2 Public Education Reform legislation following more than four hours of floor debate by a vote of 61-59. Much of the discussion centered on school choice and broader structural changes to the state’s education framework. The bill’s close vote underscores ongoing divisions within the chamber and signals that education policy will remain a central, and closely watched issue as the session progresses.
Budget discussions also began this week, with lawmakers initiating talks surrounding the FY 2027 budget. Legislative leaders have indicated expectations for a budget exceeding $7 billion, supported in part by approximately $1.5 billion currently held in state cash reserves. While formal appropriations work remains in its early stages, these initial conversations provided indication of fiscal priorities this session.
We anticipate heavy committee activity next week as the January 19th deadline for introduction of general bills and constitutional amendments approaches, in addition to February 3rd's deadline for committees to report on bills approaches. At that point, any bills not voted on by committees will be dead and will not move forward to a floor vote.
