From Left, State Senators Scott Delano (R) and Nicole Boyd (R). (Photo by Jeremy Pittari | Magnolia Tribune)
- A hearing at the Capitol on Tuesday will provide lawmakers insight into efforts to address mental health, childcare, infant mortality and more.
The state Senate Women, Children, and Families Study Committee will hold a wide-ranging hearing on Tuesday at the Capitol.
Several experts are expected to testify, including agency heads from Mississippi’s Child Protective Services (CPS), Health Department, juvenile courts, and the Attorney General’s Office during the scheduled meeting.
The agenda, said state Senator Nicole Boyd (R), chair of the committee, will include updates on the state’s efforts on various fronts, including mental health, childcare, infant mortality, juvenile justice, and prevention.
Boyd said Mississippi has made strides on many issues since the committee was formed after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in the summer of 2022. The committee’s aim, she said, is to find long-range solutions to the problems facing women, children, and families in the Magnolia State.
“We’re seeking good policies that will be economically viable, but also continue to work 10, 20 years from now,” said Boyd.
The committee is also considering ways to reduce bureaucratic red tape, a goal of Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R), who plans to make streamlining government agencies a legislative priority during the 2026 session.
Lawmakers want to see changes that will have a positive impact on Mississippians, saying some of the policy suggestions coming from the committee will “tweak or make wholesale changes” to current rules and regulations.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Senator Boyd said the committee will take a “deep dive” into the progress being made in CPS. Slated to testify is Andrea Sanders, commissioner of the state’s Department of Child Protective Services. Boyd said Sanders will inform the committee about improvements CPS has made since the Olivia Y. lawsuit and take questions from legislators.
According to CPS, Olivia Y. was filed in March 2004 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Jackson, Division, against the Governor, the Executive Director of the Department of Human Services, and the Director of the MDHS, Division of Family and Children’s Services, all in their official capacities. The case alleged that Mississippi’s foster care system was failing to adequately protect children in its custody and provide necessary services in violation of their federal constitutional rights. The lawsuit sought only court-ordered changes in the system; money damages were never at issue.
Bob Anderson, executive director of the state’s Department of Human Services, is expected to testify on childcare in Mississippi while leaders from the Mississippi Economic Development Council are scheduled to discuss how the passing of child tax credit legislation could benefit Mississippi families and the state.
Dr. Daniel Edney, Mississippi’s State Health Officer, is expected to highlight efforts being made by the Department of Health to reduce the state’s high infant mortality rates, as Mississippi has one of the highest rates in the U.S. In August, state medical officials declared a state of emergency concerning Mississippi’s rising infant mortality rate at 9.7 per 1,000 births. The national average is 5.5 per 1,000 births.
The state Department of Mental Health will provide committee members with information on addiction and mental health issues.
The committee will also hear a proposal to make financial literacy mandatory in schools.
Senator Boyd said the committee is “making significant progress, but we have a lot of work to do.”
Tuesday’s hearing gets underway at 1 p.m.
