House heads home without state budget agreement

• The Mississippi House adjourned sine die to end the legislative session, days early and without a budget, after late session disagreements escalated tensions.

Sine die was scheduled for April 6th. But on Wednesday afternoon, Speaker of the House Jason White (R) gathered his members, thanked them for their service, and adjourned sine die.

The decision effectively ends this year’s legislative session without an approved state budget, meaning a special session will be required to reach agreement on the over $7 billion in spending prior to the start of the fiscal year on July 1st.

The adjournment comes on the heels of a House decision not to participate in the customary “conference weekend” and Senate refusal to extend the session.

Speaker White unveiled a resolution Wednesday afternoon that would have extended the 2025 session, suspend deadlines for certain spending bills, and set a new date for sine die (the end of the legislative session).

White had explained the decision not to participate in conference weekend as part of a commitment not to rush the budget process and to increase transparency. Senate leaders were angered by the House failing to “show up for work.” Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R) called the House actions “chaotic” and “senseless” over the weekend.

White said the plan has always been to finish work on the state budget, adding that just as during last session, his stance has been to not work on the budget during the weekend.

“It was not a surprise we would not be here this weekend working late night on budgets,” White said Wednesday. “We had already told them at the beginning of session we would not do that, and we won’t do it next year.”

Earlier Wednesday, White said he hoped the Senate agreed to the extension to avoid the need for a special session, but made clear the House was prepared to end its work if they did not.

“There’s no reason we can’t get those eight budgets between now and Sunday, which is our sine die per the original deadlines,” White had said.

Under the House concurrent resolution offered by the Speaker, the session would have been extended five days to April 11 to handle appropriations and budget process bills, as well as SB 3095.

SB 3095 was the Senate tax bill, which the House amended with their own tax plan before the passage and signing of HB 1. As amended, SB 3095 included an additional funding stream for the Public Employees’ Retirement System.

The provision inserted by the House in SB 3905 would redirect $100 million from state lottery proceeds into PERS in hopes of shoring up a considerable unfunded liability exceeding $25 billion.

“We thought we had a good plan with dedicating lottery proceeds of $100 million a year, that would be a good start. Actuaries take that into account when they rate our system,” White said, adding that the provision addresses concerns state agencies have expressed in their future ability to recruit new employees after the change goes into effect in March 2026.

“PERs retirees are worried about the newly created fifth tier created per the Lt. Governor’s language,” White added. “They’re worried what that does to the system. The House wants to show those folks, and all Mississippians, that we are dedicated to finding a stream of revenue that is not subject to political whims in any given legislative year.”

Capital expenses, or money that is used at the local level to address infrastructure needs, were also at issue between the two bodies, White stated. He said the House had a robust capital expense fund that distributed dollars across the state last year, but this year something must have changed between the chambers.

White said that if the Senate has concerns about spending due to concerns of potential federal cuts, then no capital expense funds should be spent. He said that is why the original version of HB 1 included diversions to cities and counties for the state aid road and bridge fund.

“But we can’t pick and choose projects that look good for folks that might want to run for statewide office and not look good to local governments,” White added. Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann is rumored to be running for Governor in 2027.

A two-thirds vote was needed to pass the extension resolution in both chambers. It received a 110-0 vote in the House.

Speaker White told the House they would recess until 5 p.m. to see what the Senate would do.

The Senate adjourned for the day hours later without taking the resolution up after it was immediately released by the House.

After adjournment, Lt. Governor Hoseman said the budget process began in January, but since then, negotiations with the House have been up and down.

“This is not a yo-yo budget,” Hosemann said. “This is a $30 billion budget that people count on.” That figure represents something close to total state spending, but is far larger than the general fund.

Hosemann said the Senate would like to work on the budget next week and that he would review the House suspension resolution with the Senate Rules Committee.

Senate Rules Chairman Dean Kirby (R) said, “This is the first I am seeing this,” holding the two-page resolution in his hand just after 4 p.m.

Neither Hosemann nor Kirby commented on how they plan respond to the House’s extension resolution prior to the House returning from recess.

When Speaker White gaveled the House back in at 5 p.m. moments later, he gathered staff to show members’ appreciation for their hard work during the session and then gaveled the House out sine die, ending the regular session.

Now, Reeves will decide when lawmakers return to work ahead of the start of the new fiscal year.