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2022 Mississippi legislative session
General information
Session start:    January 4, 2022 Session end:    April 5, 2022
Leadership
Senate President Delbert Hosemann (R) House Speaker Philip Gunn (R) Majority Leader Senate: N/A House: N/A Minority Leader Senate:Derrick Simmons (D) House:Robert Johnson (D)
Elections
Next Election:   November 7, 2023 Last Election:   November 5, 2019
Previous legislative sessions
2021 •2020 •2019 •2018
Other 2022 legislative sessions
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In 2022, theMississippi State Legislature was scheduled to convene on January 4, 2022 and adjourn on April 5, 2022.

The legislators serving in this session took office following the2019 elections. Republicans won a 36-16 majority in theSenate and a 77-43 majority in theHouse. The party also controlled the governorship, creating a Republicanstate government trifecta. At the start of the 2022 session, Mississippi was one of 26 state legislatures where neither party had aveto-proof supermajority in both chambers.

Leadership in 2022

Mississippi State Senate

• Senate president:Delbert Hosemann (R)
• Majority leader: N/A
• Minority leader:Derrick Simmons (D)

Mississippi House of Representatives

• Speaker of the House:Philip Gunn (R)
• Majority leader: N/A
• Minority leader:Robert Johnson (D)

Partisan control in 2022

See also:State government trifectas

Mississippi was one of 23 Republicanstate government trifectas at the start of 2022 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas,click here.

Mississippi was also one of 26 state legislatures where neither party had aveto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called aveto-proof majority or, sometimes, asupermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures,click here.

The following tables show the partisan breakdown of theMississippi State Legislature in the 2022 legislative session.

Mississippi State Senate

Mississippi House of Representatives

Regular session

The list below shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2022 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2022. This information is provided by BillTrack50.

Standing legislative committees

See also:Standing committee andList of committees in Mississippi state government

Astanding committee of astate legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.

At the beginning of the 2022 legislative session, there were88 standing committeesin Mississippi's state government, includingtwo joint legislative committees,41 state Senate committees, and45 state House committees.

Joint legislative committees

• Legislative Budget Committee
• Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review Committee

Senate committees

• Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Committee
• Business and Financial Institutions Committee
• Economic and Workforce Development Committee
• Elections Committee
• Environmental Protection, Conservation and Water Resources Committee
• Finance Committee
• Highways and Transportation Committee
• Housing Committee
• Interstate and Federal Cooperation Committee
• Judiciary, Division A Committee
• Judiciary, Division B Committee
• Labor Committee
• Local and Private Committee
• Ports and Marine Resources Committee
• Public Health and Welfare Committee
• Senate Agriculture Committee
• Senate Appropriations Committee
• Senate Constitution Committee
• Senate Corrections Committee
• Senate County Affairs Committee
• Senate Drug Policy Committee
• Senate Education Committee
• Senate Energy Committee
• Senate Enrolled Bills Committee
• Senate Ethics Committee
• Senate Executive Contingent Fund Committee
• Senate Forestry Committee
• Senate Gaming Committee
• Senate Insurance Committee
• Senate Investigate State Offices Committee
• Senate Legislative Budget Committee
• Senate Medicaid Committee
• Senate Municipalities Committee
• Senate Public Property Committee
• Senate Rules Committee
• Senate State Library Committee
• Senate Technology Committee
• Senate Tourism Committee
• Senate Universities and Colleges Committee
• Senate Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee
• Veterans and Military Affairs Committee

House committees

• Apportionment and Elections Committee
• Banking and Financial Services Committee
• Conservation and Water Resources Committee
• House Agriculture Committee
• House Appropriations Committee
• House Compilation, Revision and Publication Committee
• House Congressional Redistricting Committee
• House Constitution Committee
• House Corrections Committee
• House County Affairs Committee
• House Drug Policy Committee
• House Education Committee
• House Energy Committee
• House Enrolled Bills Committee
• House Ethics Committee
• House Executive Contingent Fund Committee
• House Forestry Committee
• House Gaming Committee
• House Insurance Committee
• House Investigate State Offices Committee
• House Legislative Budget Committee
• House Medicaid Committee
• House Municipalities Committee
• House Public Property Committee
• House Rules Committee
• House State Library Committee
• House Tourism Committee
• House Universities and Colleges Committee
• House Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee
• Interstate Cooperation Committee
• Judiciary A Committee
• Judiciary B Committee
• Judiciary En Banc Committee
• Legislative Reapportionment Committee
• Local and Private Legislation Committee
• Management Committee
• Marine Resources Committee
• Military Affairs Committee
• Ports, Harbors and Airports Committee
• Public Health and Human Services Committee
• Public Utilities Committee
• Transportation Committee
• Ways and Means Committee
• Workforce Development Committee
• Youth and Family Affairs Committee

Legislatively referred constitutional amendments

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process forreferring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states,initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are alsomany other types of statewide measures.

The methods by which the Mississippi Constitution can be amended:

See also:Article XV of the Mississippi Constitution andLaws governing the initiative process in Mississippi

Mississippi Constitution
Preamble
Articles
1 •2 •3 •4 •5 •6 •7 •8 •9 •10 •11 •12 •13 •14 •15

TheMississippi Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution—a citizen-initiated process and a legislative process. Mississippi requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.

Initiative

See also:Initiated constitutional amendment

Anindirect initiated constitutional amendment is acitizen-initiated ballot measure that amends astate's constitution. There are two states –Massachusetts andMississippi – that allow citizens to initiate indirect constitutional amendments.

While a directinitiated constitutional amendment is placed on the ballot once supporters file the required number of valid signatures, an indirect initiated constitutional amendment is first presented to the state legislature, which has various options depending on the state.

In Mississippi, thenumber of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to at least 12% of the total number of votes cast for governor in the last gubernatorial general election immediately preceding the signature deadline—not necessarily the gubernatorial election immediately preceding the targeted election date. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.

Beginning with the day the sponsor receives the ballot title and summary, proponents have one year to circulate petitions and receive certification from the county circuit clerks. Signatures must be submitted to the secretary of state at least 90 days prior to the beginning of the regular session—which begins in the first week of January.

Once it is determined that proponents of a measure have collected enough signatures, the measure is filed with theMississippi State Legislature on the first day of the legislative session. The legislature must act on the measure within four months of that date. The legislature may choose to adopt the measure by a majority vote in each house. Whether the legislature adopts or rejects the measure, the proposed amendment proceeds to the ballot. The legislature may also choose to approve an amended alternate version of the measure. In this case, both measures appear on the ballot together.

An initiative must receive a majority of the total votes cast for that particular initiative and must also receive more than 40% of the total votes cast in that election.

Legislature

See also:Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

Atwo-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for theMississippi State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 77 votes in theMississippi House of Representatives and 35 votes in theMississippi State Senate, assuming no vacancies. The absolute number of those voting in favor must be equal to at least a majority of the members elected to each house. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Historical partisan control

The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Mississippi.

Historical Senate control

Between 1991 and 2019, partisan control of the Mississippi State Senate shifted from being heavily Democratic to a Republican majority. Democrats went from having a 26-seat advantage following the 1991 elections to being at a 20-seat disadvantage after the 2019 elections. The rapid partisan change in the chamber coincided with the American South's shift from over a century of Democratic control to being solid Republican in the early 21st century. The table below shows the partisan history of the Mississippi State Senate following every general election from 1991 to 2019. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin'sParty Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

From 1991 to 2006, Senate Democrats controlled the Mississippi State Senate. Democrats had their largest majority following the 1991 election when Democrats had a 26-member majority. In 2007, two Democratic membersswitched their party affiliation to Republican, giving Republicans a 27-25 majority. This was their first majority in the Senate since Reconstruction.^[4] Democrats saw gains in the 2007 elections and held a 28-24 majority until state Sen.Nolan Mettetalswitched his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican in 2008. This gave Democrats a 27-25 majority.^[5][6]

Prior to the 2011 elections, state senatorsCindy Hyde-Smith andEzell Lee switched their party affiliation from Democratic to Republican in 2010 and 2011, respectively. This gave Republicans a 27-25 majority heading into the 2011 election. Republicans picked up four seats in the 2011 election and won a 31-21 majority. The Republican gains in 2011 and 2015 were in line with a national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency ofBarack Obama (D). From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experiencedlosses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats altogether.

Following the 2019 elections, Republicans had a 36-16 majority.

Historical House control

Between 1991 and 2019, partisan control of the Mississippi House of Representatives shifted from being heavily Democratic to a Republican majority. Democrats went from having a 66-seat advantage following the 1991 elections to being at a 29-seat disadvantage after the 2019 elections. The rapid partisan change in the chamber coincided with the American South's shift from Democratic control to being solid Republican in the early 21st century. The table below shows the partisan history of the Mississippi House of Representatives following every general election from 1991 to 2019. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin'sParty Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

From 1992 to 2011, House Democrats held large majorities in the chamber, the largest following the 1991 election when Democrats held a 66-seat advantage. In every election between 1991 and 2007, Democrats either lost seats or gained no seats. From 1991 to 2003, House Democrats had more than the 82 seats required to override gubernatorial vetoes.

Republicans took control of the Mississippi House of Representatives in the 2011 elections. Before the 2011 election, the last time that Republicans controlled the state House was during Reconstruction.^[7] Republicans picked up 10 seats in that election and won a 64-58 majority. The Republican gains in 2011 and 2015 were in line with a national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency ofBarack Obama (D). From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experiencedlosses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats altogether.

Following the 2019 elections, Republicans had a 75-46 majority with one independent member.

See also

Elections	Mississippi State Government	State Legislatures	State Politics
Mississippi State Senate elections, 2023 Mississippi House of Representatives elections, 2023	Mississippi State Legislature Mississippi House of Representatives Mississippi State Senate Governor of Mississippi Mississippi Supreme Court	State legislative elections, 2022 State legislative special elections, 2022 State legislative elections, 2020 State legislative elections, 2018	State government trifectas State government triplexes Veto overrides in state legislatures State executives State courts Ballot measures The State Legislative Decade

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Misssissippi State Legislature homepage

Footnotes