It’s official. The 2026 Mississippi legislative session is not quite over.
The Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate are scheduled to reconvene in their respective chambers under the dome on Wednesday at 1 p.m.
Lawmakers adjourned sine die (kind of) on April 3, but left the door open for a return to the state capitol by passing a measure to extend the regular session on paper. When legislators gaveled out nearly two weeks ago, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann signaled a return, saying, “We’ll probably see you again,” to his colleagues. Hosemann presides over the Senate.
Unlike last year, legislators passed a budget before concluding the regular session, allowing them to wrap up their affairs without a special session to ensure state agencies were funded. This year, the legislature approved a budget just south of $7.4 billion, with major chunks of the funding going to education and healthcare.
The legislature also addressed hot-button issues — like giving teachers a pay raise, modifying the current structure of the public employees’ retirement system, and offering financial relief to cities and counties impacted by Winter Storm Fern, among other items.
So it is expected that, during the extended session, the legislature will look for a compromise on pharmacy benefit managers reform, address other ancillary issues, and potentially override some of Gov. Tate Reeves’ vetoes.