Speaker Jason White Issues Statement on House Bill 1

Speaker Jason White concludes a statewide poll with Cygnal, one of the nation’s most accurate polling groups. “The members of the Mississippi House believe the work of improving our state is work worth doing. Future generations of Mississippians are counting on us to get it right. The House has vision and is looking to move Mississippi forward with informed, verifiable data. Top voter concerns include inflation, the cost of living, and the need for safe communities. Additionally, the work of the Property Tax Select Committee is supported as the House pursues the elimination of the homestead property tax,” says Speaker Jason White. Below are the findings, toplines, and crosstabs from the polling conducted by Cygnal.

Jackson, Mississippi – Speaker Jason White states, “In accordance with state statute, I am naming the following State Representatives as House appointees to the Mississippi Standing Joint Legislative Committee on Reapportionment and Redistricting: Noah Sanford, Chairman, House Committee on Reapportionment and Elections Mark Tullos, Vice Chairman, House Committee on Reapportionment and Elections Congressional District 1: Donnie Bell, Rodney Hall Congressional District 2: Kevin Horan, Tracy Rosebud Congressional District 3: Scott Bounds, Carl Mickens Congressional District 4: Jay McKnight, Missy McGee These House members represent a diverse set of skills and backgrounds. The Joint Committee will explore the best path forward to establish principles for redistricting based on the recent Callais Supreme Court decision. I’m confident these members will review all relevant information, listen to the constituencies across our state, and come forward with a plan that reflects the requirements of the post-Callais landscape.”

As we Sine Die this Special Session, we conclude our work at the Old Capitol having passed meaningful Youth Court reform that puts Mississippi’s children first by strengthening accountability, improving transparency, and ensuring families receive timely and consistent justice. This legislation invests in children, not bureaucracy, while protecting vulnerable youth and giving our courts the tools they need to better serve Mississippi families. Judiciary B Chairman Kevin Horan and Vice Chairman Jansen Owen worked tirelessly for several months to improve our Youth Court system by streamlining processes and putting the focus where it should be, with children. Appropriations Chairman John Read and Vice Chairman Angela Cockerham have been integral leaders in the state’s conservative budget. Because of that fiscally responsible budget, we can prioritize a transformative statewide program. I am appreciative of the bipartisan support from my House colleagues to focus on Mississippi’s children.

Jackson, MS – Speaker Jason White has announced the formation of six new House Select Committees to study key issues facing Mississippi and develop policy recommendations ahead of the 2027 Legislative Session. The newly established committees will focus on Government Efficiency, Property Taxes, Redistricting, Judicial Operations, Consolidation, and Specialty Schools . Speaker White shared, “The Mississippi House of Representatives has consistently demonstrated a willingness to take on complex issues with thoughtful study, serious discussion, and deliberate action. Our Select Committee process allows members to engage stakeholders, examine policy from every angle, and build informed, conservative solutions that serve the people of Mississippi.” “As we prepare for the next legislative session, these six committees will focus on some of the most important structural and policy matters facing our state. Whether it is ensuring government operates more efficiently, evaluating our tax structure, strengthening our judicial system, or improving how specialized educational institutions serve Mississippi families, these committees will help shape meaningful legislation that reflects our commitment to responsible governance.” The Select Committee on Government Efficiency will review opportunities to streamline state government operations, reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, and identify ways taxpayer dollars can be used more effectively and transparently. The Select Committee on Property Taxes will examine Mississippi’s property tax framework, explore reforms that provide relief to homeowners and businesses, and evaluate long-term strategies to ensure fairness and sustainability in local government funding. The Select Committee on Redistricting will study current districting processes and legal considerations, ensuring Mississippi remains prepared to address future reapportionment with transparency, fairness, and adherence to constitutional requirements. The Select Committee on Judicial Operations will focus on the structure and administration of Mississippi’s court system, reviewing efficiency, access to justice, court resources, and opportunities to improve judicial processes statewide. The Select Committee on Consolidation will evaluate opportunities for consolidation within our K-12 public schools as well as community college and IHL systems. The Select Committee on Specialty Schools will study Mississippi’s specialized educational institutions and programs, examining opportunities to strengthen educational access, improve outcomes, and ensure students with unique talents and needs receive the highest quality support and instruction. “Following the success of previous Select Committees, which produced substantial legislation and meaningful reforms, the House is once again taking a proactive approach to governing,” Speaker White added. “By beginning this work now, we will enter the next legislative session with clear priorities, well-developed policy solutions, and a continued focus on advancing commonsense conservative leadership for Mississippi.” Committee memberships and leadership appointments are listed below: Select Committee on Government Efficiency: Hank Zuber, Co-Chair Steve Lott, Co-Chair Elliot Burch Jim Estrada Bob Evans Kevin Felsher Kevin Ford Clay Mansell Missy McGee Jonathan McMillan Tracey Rosebud Randy Rushing Omeria Scott Troy Smith Beth Waldo Otha Williams Lee Yancey Select Committee on Property Taxes: Trey Lamar, Co-Chair Shane Barnett, Co-Chair Shane Aguirre Brent Anderson Manly Barton Cedric Burnett Bryant Clark Ronnie Crudup Clay Deweese Zach Grady Jeff Guice Josh Hawkins Hester Jackson-McCray Gene Newman Brent Powell Select Committee on Redistricting: Noah Sanford, Co-Chair Kevin Horan, Co-Chair Scott Bounds Sam Creekmore Dan Eubanks Casey Eure Rodney Hall Joey Hood Lataisha Jackson Timaka James-Jones Brad Mattox Jay McKnight Carl Mickens Tracey Rosebud Mark Tullos Select Committee on Judicial Operations: Angela Cockerham, Co-Chair Joey Hood, Co-Chair Lawrence Blackmon Chuck Blackwell Jimmy Fondren Justis Gibbs Kevin Horan Sam Mims Daryl Porter Noah Sanford Mark Tullos Percy Watson Shanda Yates Select Committee on Consolidation: Rob Roberson, Co-Chair Donnie Scoggin, Co-Chair Otis Anthony Tracy Arnold Donnie Bell Bubba Carpenter Gregory Elliott Greg Holloway Kenji Holloway Celeste Hurst Trey Lamar Kent McCarty Jansen Owen Kimberly Remak Rickey Thompson Bubba Tubb Select Committee on Specialty Schools: Steve Massengill, Co-Chair Andy Boyd, Co-Chair Chris Bell Becky Currie Kevin Felsher Stephanie Foster Karl Gibbs Vince Mangold Missy McGee Dana McLean Fabian Nelson Karl Oliver Jansen Owen Rob Roberson Robert Sanders Shanda Yates

Today, the House adjourned Sine Die, concluding the 2026 Legislative Session. The House maintained its commitment to a transparent budgeting process, allowing all legislators to review government spending prior to voting. I’m pleased that House and Senate appropriators worked together to complete a responsible budget. We have many legislative victories to be proud of, spanning across healthcare reforms, education, PERS, and conservative measures. We came into this Session with the momentum to expand education freedom, build on our gains, and invest in Mississippi’s future generation. While the House is certainly disappointed to have been unable to engage in conversation with the Senate on Education Freedom, when providing options for families resurfaces, and it most certainly will, the House will be ready to prioritize students over systems, and parents over the status quo. The House will continue to embrace challenges and seek solutions. Thank you to my fellow colleagues for the privilege and trust to lead the Mississippi House of Representatives, to my staff for their hard work, and to the people of Mississippi who elected us to confront uncomfortable issues and make tough decisions to build a better, brighter Mississippi.

For the third consecutive year, the House has tried to provide relief for independent pharmacists with PBM reform. However, the Senate has repeatedly taken this legislation too far, placing the cost burden on the shoulders of Mississippi’s patients. The House’s original bill, and the only PBM reform bill that was before the legislature this Session, would have given independent pharmacists 90% of what they have been advocating for the past three years. Unfortunately, the hang-up continues to point to a mandated prescription fee that would have increased annual healthcare expenses by millions for plan sponsors and higher insurance premiums for hardworking Mississippians. The Governor has been working diligently with all interested parties to find an agreement. Lobbyists for the independent pharmacists have been offered numerous compromises but have so far been unwilling to negotiate. Based on these conversations, the Governor has indicated he would be unlikely to sign House Bill 1665 into law in its current form. With the deadline to Concur or Invite Conference today, HB 1665, as amended by the Senate, is dead. To continue the legislature’s efforts on this issue, the House is requesting Governor Tate Reeves call a Special Session within this Regular Session to address PBM reform. The House has consistently made efforts to ease the concerns of our local pharmacists, and we are committed to doing so without harming businesses and Mississippians. The House will remain focused on doing the right thing for all Mississippians. We anticipate further negotiations among all parties to reach a solution that is agreeable within the next few days. It is the Mississippi House of Representatives’ goal to consider and pass a bill that takes into account our state’s patients and businesses, in addition to independent pharmacists.

Today, the House passed all House-originating state budget bills. The subcommittee structure of the Appropriations process in the House provides full transparency and budget vetting, allowing members to know exactly what they are voting for. Despite what some media outlets continue to report, all 51 budget bills were double-referred and managed to make their way through the legislative process just fine, and now head to the Senate for consideration. I applaud our Appropriations Chairmen for their thorough evaluation of our state’s budget. We will repeat this process when we receive the remaining half of the budget bills originating in the Senate. Included in today’s budget bills was the K-12 education budget, which includes the Mississippi Student Funding Formula. For the third year in a row, since the creation of the new funding formula, public education has been fully funded. In just three years, the Mississippi Student Funding Formula has now been fully funded more times than the MAEP formula was funded in its 20+ year history. This is the direct result of prioritizing students over systems. As education remains a top priority in the House, Senate Bill 2294 was amended to include the Mississippi Math Act, Literacy Program Expansion, and Financial Literacy — three components from HB 2 that directly build on our education success. The Mississippi Math Act establishes a statewide framework for mathematics instruction, implements screening and intervention tools to improve student math proficiency, and aligns student math skills with college- and career-readiness standards. The Literacy Program Expansion builds on the success of the Literacy Based Promotion Act (3rd-grade reading gate), commonly known as the Mississippi Miracle, by creating a similar program for 4th through 8th grade to maintain and expand students' reading skills. Lastly, the bill requires that Financial Literacy be added to the curriculum as an option for public school students in grades 6 – 8. For 9th–12th grade, a single half-credit in Financial Literacy must be completed before graduation.  When it comes to education or our state budget, the House will not accept the current way of doing things just because that’s the way it has always been done. We all know, when nothing changes, nothing changes. We will continue to seek opportunities that build on our education gains, prioritizing the potential of the next generation of Mississippians.

Today, the Senate chose to be premature of legislative deadlines and performative in their 2-minute Education Committee meeting to kill HB 2. The self-proclaimed deliberative body did not deliberate. Instead of engaging in meaningful work to build on Mississippi’s education gains, the Senate has chosen the route to shut down any productive pathway to put students before systems. To avoid conversation, debate, or thorough evaluation is a disservice to parents, students, and future generations of Mississippians. Senate leadership has aligned themselves with the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, the Mississippi Democratic Party, and the status quo. I am incredibly proud of my House members who were brave and courageous in their vote for HB 2, unlike the impulsive and rash action shown today by the Senate. Given the way major legislation has been championed by the House over the previous two years, we have seen this move from the “deliberative body” and know the playbook. We are not deterred. This issue will not go away. The Senate has anchored their support to the status quo. We are comfortable where we stand in our support from The White House, Governor Tate Reeves, most of our statewide elected officials, faith-based organizations, business leaders, the Mississippi Federation of Republican Women, and the majority of Mississippians. The House has proven we will stand up for what is best for Mississippi, and especially our state’s greatest asset – our children.