These are the key issues that will define the 2025 Legislative Session in Mississippi

Editor’s note: This is the first entry in an eight-part series previewing some of the most impactful legislation coming to the 2025 Mississippi Legislative Session.

The 2025 Legislative Session begins on Jan. 7, and the many issues circulated through press releases, news stories and legislative taskforce committees this year will be brought to center stage for debate and possibly be passed into law.

But what bills will make the headlines? What will lawmakers debate the most? how many bills will pass by the deadlines of the Legislature or die at the hands of House and Senate lawmakers?

Below is a look at some of the biggest issues coming before Mississippi lawmakers in 2025.

Tax cut debates incoming

Legislative leadership in Mississippi is eyeing cuts to the state’s tax code.

This year, the potential tax code targets will largely take the form of income tax cuts and sales tax cuts, with a conversation also to be had about loosening state restrictions on local-option taxes and funding for the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

On one side of the Mississippi State Capitol Building, House Speaker Jason White, R-West, wants to cut the state’s personal income tax, which by Fiscal Year 2027 will be at 4% flat. Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann wants to cut the state’s 7% grocery sales tax, one of the highest in the nation.

“The positive thing is that both chambers seem very interested in tax reform in a way that we can hopefully lessen the income tax burden on Mississippians as we continue to run these surpluses, while looking for, hopefully a way to cut our grocery tax some, maybe not all, but some and give Mississippians some relief,” White said to reporters after a tax policy summit in September.

The income tax accounts for nearly one-third of the state’s budget, which may cause lawmakers to find other ways to increase state revenue to make it up. Meanwhile, many towns and cities in Mississippi rely on sales tax revenue from groceries to fund local government.

Whether one gets cut, both or neither, government spending will likely be increased in 2025.

More on tax debate:

State in solid financial position: Mississippi continuing to exceed budget expectations. See how much was collected

Tax summit highlights: MS Senate panelists want ‘baby steps’ on income tax reforms. Read what they said

City leaders speak on revenue needs: How can MS cut income tax and ensure cities and counties have enough revenue to operate?

Tax cut goals in Senate, House: MS Senate, House looking at tax reform in 2025. Could grocery and income taxes both be cut?

Medicaid expansion coming back for debate in 2025

During the 2024 Session, state lawmakers failed to come to a final resolution on Medicaid expansion, punting the issue to 2025.

Both White and Hosemann have vowed to bring back the legislation full swing this coming year in an attempt to bring tens of thousands of poor working Mississippians access to government-funded healthcare.

House Public Health and Human Services Chairman Sam Creekmore, R-New Albany, alluded earlier this year that his chamber would likely come out with a similar proposal to its Medicaid expansion legislation, House Bill 1725, that was proposed in 2024. The Senate plan, like in 2024, will likely have similar features to its proposal as well.

As things currently stand, if the Legislature were to swing full Medicaid expansion past Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, a furious opponent of expansion, more than 200,000 Mississippians would likely benefit, and the state would bring in about $1.2 billion in economic incentives by expanding the program. The federal government would pick up 90% of the tab, with the state picking up the other 10%.

Earlier this year, the Clarion Ledger identified several areas where Mississippi’s Medicaid plan could be stopped in its tracks due to President-elect Donald Trump likely eyeing cuts to the Affordable Care Act, of which Medicaid is a part.

More stories on Medicaid expansion:

Medicaid expansion’s federal hurdles: With Trump heading back to the White House, is MS Medicaid expansion plan still viable? Read here

Medicaid prenatal program needs work: MS Medicaid prenatal care program was passed in the spring but is still not active. Why?

Reeves to fight Medicaid at every turn: State politics: AG Lynn Fitch appeals auditor suit to MS Supreme Court in Brett Favre case

2024 Medicaid expansion bill dies: Medicaid expansion dies in Mississippi Legislature

Government structure

Beginning in the fall, Senate leadership publicly declared it is studying ways to reduce the financial and regulatory burden of state government on its taxpayers.

Hosemann told the Clarion Ledger this coming session he is likely to support legislation to establish a commission to study how to cut the size and cost of government.

Around the same time, State Auditor Shad White, a Republican, released a government-waste study that identified $335 million in government waste at 13 state agencies through unused government assets, policies on state contracts and procurement that “waste” time and money and other means.

While the study and the $2 million that paid for it has come under scrutiny by lawmakers and top Mississippi GOP members, it could still serve as guidance for lawmakers looking to cut down on government, White has said.

Hosemann eyeing government structure: Mississippi Lt. Gov. looking to tackle government reorganization in 2025. Read why

Chaney wants job appointed: Mississippi Insurance Commissioner wants his position to be appointed. Read why

$2M waste report challenged by AG AG Fitch says state auditor White’s $2M report was beyond his authority. White responds

Public Employment Retirement System

During the 2024 Session, the Legislature passed a bill to take away regulatory powers of the Public Employment Retirement System of Mississippi board to increase funding requirements from cities and counties into the state’s retirement plan.

During the summer, a watchdog report was released saying what lawmakers did in 2024 did practically nothing to address the issues with PERS, those being a $25 billion funding deficit, a shrinking number of public employees contributing into the system and a rising number of beneficiaries.

To try and address the system’s long-term sustainability, the PERS board this month released its legislative recommendations, which included a new class of benefits for new public employees. Some of the suggestions for that new tier, called Tier 5, will see new state employees receiving less guaranteed cash post-retirement than current retirees.

More on PERS:

PERS changes were unimpactful: Report shows Mississippi Legislature retirement reforms this year aren’t effective. See why

Legislature passes PERS legislation: MS Legislature passes bill restricting state retirement board’s authority

Legislative, judicial redistricting, reforms to courts

State lawmakers will in 2025 need to address several areas of redistricting from legislative districts to the state’s circuit and chancery court lines and possibly those defining youth courts.

Thanks to a federal court order, the Mississippi Legislature will have to redraw some of its legislative districts because the court found several districts’ lines diluted Black voting power.

The redraw could end up impacting dozens of districts, which will cause special elections to take place post-session.

The judicial redistricting, required to take place within five years after a U.S. Census, will affect circuit and chancery court districts. During the 2024 Session, efforts to redraw the court lines died by a legislative deadline.

One issue that could be tied into the court district debate are youth courts, which as identified in taskforce committee reports. Major reforms are needed to repair some of the foundational issues with the state’s youth court system.

One of the recommendations offered to fix the system’s issues would be to combine the courts with chancery courts. Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, and chairman of the Senate Judiciary A Committee, said it is possible that youth courts could get wrangled into the court district redraw debate.

“I haven’t thought that far yet,” Wiggins said after a committee hearing on youth courts in November. “I think it is imperative that we look at our court systems, Youth Court, circuit, chancery court, for all the reasons that we’ve heard last year and that we heard here today.”

Court orders redistricting: U.S. Court allows MS to wait until 2025 to establish new majority-Black districts

Youth court reform needed: Mississippi youth courts are broken, struggling with staff, funding. How can they be fixed?

Senate committee taking up court reform: Youth court issues in Mississippi on Senate committee’s plate. See what they plan to do

Education issues in 2025

This coming year, lawmakers will also have to come up with another $38 million to fully fund the new Mississippi Student Funding Formula, which was fully funded this year with about $2.95 billion.

Other issues likely to draw attention are school choice and private school vouchers.

House Speaker Jason White said in a public interview earlier this month he is planning for the House to take up school choice to give parents more options to move their children from one public school to another.

House Education Chairman Rob Roberson, R-Starkville, said his committee would be taking up school choice bills, bills on charter schools and establishing legislation to require the Mississippi Department of Education to study ways to address failing school districts.

Senate Education Chairman Dennis Debar, R-Leakesville, said he is gunning after similar goals and would also look to address a teacher pay raise.

White wants to work on vouchers: Mississippi Speaker of the House Jason White wants to work toward private school vouchers

Legislature passes funding formula: MS Legislature passes historic education funding model, sends to governor’s desk

Grant McLaughlin covers the Legislature and state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Major political issues for Mississippi in 2025 Legislative Session

EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel