The Mississippi Legislature has left the building after sine die in what was the longest session in Mississippi history. However, work is still happening among members.
Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann is keeping senators busy with hearings scheduled throughout the month of October. He says he hopes that these hearings will result in legislation sooner than usual.
Hosemann indicated on the Gallo Show Monday morning that he hopes to see legislation from members before the end of the year. Typically, bills are not filed by members until the return to a legislative session, meaning early January.
“I sent them [members] a note and asked them to have most of their bills in by Christmas,” said Hosemann. He said this action could help them start off the year with a strong agenda of what they would like to see passed in 2021.
One hearing topic to be expected in the coming weeks will address the issues faced by the Alcohol Beverage Control, ABC. According to former Commissioner of the Department of Revenue, Herb Frierson, the current facility in Gluckstadt is outdated.
Hosemann agreed with that statement. He said how that is fixed and what to do about it is why these hearings are important.
Alcohol sales was one sector that did not deteriorate during the shutdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, problems with the distribution facility have been voiced before.
In fact, they were forced to temporarily suspend liquor orders for 20 days in July due to such a large volume of requests the four months prior.
Senators will tackle other topics like Medicaid and Corrections, as well. Those are currently scheduled for this week.
The Legislature will return in January for the 2021 Legislative Session. According to state law, they will work for 90 days from January through March. At this time, members have indicated there is no intention to extend the legislative session for a second year in a row. If they were to do that, it would again be through a resolution with two-thirds vote.
All hearings in the Senate are available to watch on a live stream. Visit www.mslegislature.com.
Sarah Ulmer
