Several Appropriations and Revenue bills still in play after suspension resolution to extend session was passed.
The Mississippi House and Senate have agreed to suspend the 2022 Legislative session by a few days in order to successfully pass a state budget in a new time frame.
The original Sine Die date for the session was April 3, 2022. However, the rules indicate that no appropriation or revenue bills can be voted on within the last five days of the session. Those bills are currently in negotiations but lawmakers were not able to meet the initial deadlines in time.
Originally, final conference reports on money bills were to be adopted by Monday, March 28. However, nearly all of the original conference reports filed Saturday were dummy bill. This means the numbers within them were simply placeholders for the real thing.
With session’s end nearing a suspension resolution was put forward in the House – HCR 89, to allow for an extension to session. Now passed in both chambers by a two-thirds vote, the resolution will extend session by 30 days, but Sine Die is expected on April 7.
Under that deadline, all revenue and appropriation bills must be passed by Saturday.
This move is mostly procedural on paper. Lawmakers say they are still confident they will leave the Capitol by Saturday or Sunday of this week – with a budget.
Sen. Briggs Hopson, chair of Appropriations in the Senate, said they are definitely behind schedule on the floor when presenting the resolution.
Sen. Dennis DeBar questioned why negotiations were behind. He then asked if it was directly due to the debate over eliminating the income tax, which was a push made by the House this year. Senator Hopson said that was a fair statement to make.
No particular number has been confirmed in regard to what the state’s budget will come out to as of the time of this article.
Several bills will be revived under this measure. The House bills are:
446, 453, 606, 770, 833, 1005, 20 1006, 1163, 1168, 1240, 1313, 1353, 1421, 1423, 1424, 1425, 1426 and 1427
Senate bills include:
2063, 2120, 2419, 2422, 2780, 2820, 22 2822, 2844 and 2849,
Also included is HCR 39, the provision to revive the state’s initiative process.
Sarah Ulmer
