The Mississippi Legislature’s 2025 session is over, but lawmakers could soon return to work in a special session after the House and Senate failed to adopt a budget before the regular session ended on April 3. Gov. Tate Reeves will have to call lawmakers into a special session ahead of the start of the new fiscal year on July 1.

After the House ended the session on April 2 and the Senate followed suit on April 3, the governor said that he would bring the Legislature back by June 30, although he did not offer a specific date.

“I am confident that the House and Senate will work together to get this done. In fact, I have been in personal communication with legislative leadership over the last several weeks, and I don’t think they’re really that far apart (regarding the budget),” Reeves said during an April 3 press conference at the Walter Sillers building in downtown Jackson.

House and Senate Each Blame the Other

Lawmakers failed to adopt a budget after the House and Senate could not reach an agreement on the State’s finances. House Speaker Jason White, R-West, and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, a Republican, both blamed the other chamber.

Before concluding the session on April 2, the House unanimously passed a resolution to extend the legislative session until April 11 and suspend deadlines for appropriations bills that had died on legislative deadlines at the end of March. White told reporters on April 2 that the House was giving the Senate “one more attempt” to come together to adopt a budget. 

The speaker authored the resolution and put a deadline for his proposals for 5 p.m. on April 2 to give the Senate a chance to agree to the resolution so that the two chambers could work out a budget and engage in discussions about tax cuts and the Public Employees’ Retirement System funding. The Senate concluded its business for the day on April 2 without addressing the House’s resolution.

Speaker of the House Jason White speaks at presser outside with the Mississippi State flag behind him
Mississippi House Speaker Jason White, R-West, had told reporters on April 2, 2025, that the House was giving the Senate “one more attempt” to come together to adopt a budget. He is seen here speaking on the Mississippi Capitol steps on March 27, 2025. Photo by Heather Harrison

One point the House and Senate disagreed on was where to find funding for the Public Employees’ Retirement System’s $26.5 billion in unfunded liabilities, White tweeted on April 3. The House wanted a dedicated stream of revenue for the system while the Senate favored adjustments to the retirement tiers to give fewer benefits to incoming state employees.

“It is concerning that the Legislature was unable to agree and pass a state budget,” White said on April 3. “The House maintains its commitment that the budgeting process should be transparent and orderly, giving every member in the Legislature the opportunity to review and vet government spending. There are major differences on only a few budgetary items, but they are key differences, including the creation of a dedicated stream of revenue to PERS to address the deficit. We will continue these discussions with the Senate to produce a budget that reflects our commitment to smaller government with focused spending, while meeting the core functions and responsibilities to the taxpayers of Mississippi.”

Special Session Could Bring Out Other Topics

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann criticized the House for not attending conference weekend, which is the last full weekend before the legislative session ends and the time when the House and Senate come together to reach agreements on disputed legislation before adjourning for the session.

“This is not a yo-yo budget,” Hosemann told reporters on April 2, before the House adjourned. “This is a $30 billion budget in which they have ignored the deadlines, failed to show up repeatedly, taken their marbles home at least twice, and given us conflicting statements every other time. So, yeah, our guys are ready to do the budget.”

Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann speaking at a presser with a red and blue tie and the Mississippi state flag behind him
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann criticized the Mississippi House for not attending what conference weekend. Hosemann is seen here at the Mississippi Capitol on March 27, 2025. Photo by Heather Harrison

The Mississippi Constitution gives very little power to the governor during regular legislative sessions, but special legislative sessions allow the governor to set the agenda for the House and Senate. While he said he did not know if he would push the Legislature to discuss any other specific topics besides the budget during the special session, Reeves said he was interested in PERS funding, online sports betting, “school choice” legislation, the proposed “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” and certificates of need reform.

“There are a large number of items at this point. I will rule nothing out,” he said on April 3. “Y’all know I am reluctant to add things to a special session. I’m reluctant to call special sessions because of the cost associated with them.” 

Each day of the special legislative session could cost Mississippi taxpayers up to $100,000 to house, feed and pay lawmakers, as well as provide compensation for staff and security at the Capitol. Reeves said some state agencies are facing budget shortages that are not critical but should be addressed expeditiously.

Men and women stand on the steps of a white building with columns
Mississippi senators and House representatives listen as Gov. Tate Reeves speaks outside the Mississippi Capitol Building on March 27, 2025. Photo by Heather Harrison

The governor expressed confidence that the Legislature could work together to adopt a state budget without inducing a government shutdown before the July 1 start of the fiscal year.  

“There is no imminent threat of a government shutdown. Our state government is going to be just fine as we work through this process,” Reeves said on April 3.

State Reporter Heather Harrison has won more than a dozen awards for her multi-media journalism work. At Mississippi State University, she studied public relations and broadcast journalism, earning her Communication degree in 2023. For three years, Heather worked at The Reflector student newspaper: first as a staff reporter, then as the news editor and finally, as the editor-in-chief. This is where her passion for politics and government reporting began.
Heather started working at the Mississippi Free Press three days after graduation in 2023. She also worked part time for Starkville Daily News after college covering the Board of Aldermen meetings.
In her free time, Heather likes to sit on the porch, read books and listen to Taylor Swift. A native of Hazlehurst, she now lives in Brandon with her wife and their Boston Terrier, Finley, and calico cat, Ravioli.