Medicaid, education funding bills still up in the air in MS Legislature as deadline looms

Saturday evening is the deadline for Mississippi lawmakers to submit conference committee reports so that the Senate and House of Representatives can vote on pending legislation. Time is limited with the legislative session scheduled to end May 5.

Among the most significant bills lawmakers will be looking to iron out finalized versions of this week include Medicaid expansion, online sports betting, possible restrictions on the state's retirement system and budgets for state agencies, city and county appropriations.

Similarly, Senate Education Chairman Dennis DeBar, R-Leakesville, has until Wednesday to agree to changes to Senate Bill 2693, which has been changed into the House K-12 education funding model, the INSPIRE Act.

That bill was previously killed under an earlier deadline to pass House bills through the Senate. At the time, DeBar moved to not invite conference to continue conversations about reform to how the state funds K-12 education, which is currently done through the Mississippi Adequate Education Program.

read more about Education funding debate MS lawmakers still can't agree how to fund K-12 education. House reintroduces its own plan

What is a conference committee?

A conference committee is called after both chambers move forward a bill that has changed since it was passed through the first chamber. The group of lawmakers that first passed the legislation has the chance to either send it to the governor or to conference. Once a conference committee has been called, the lieutenant governor and House speaker appoint three legislators to represent the chamber's position and iron out a compromise.

As for the bit items on lawmakers' agendas, education, Medicaid, the state's retirement plan and even online gambling are just a few of the more than 200 bills still being considered by state lawmakers.

Medicaid debate

Earlier this month, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and House Speaker Jason White made appointments to negotiate a compromise between the House and Senate plans to expand Medicaid in Mississippi.

Under the House plan, the state would pay nothing for at least two years and receive up to $1 billion per year to expand Medicaid to 138% the federal poverty line, which is about $20,000 per year for one person. It would also require someone ages 19 to 64 to work 20 hours per week. People who are currently on private health insurance would also have to wait one year before being eligible for Medicaid. The Hilltop Institute, a research firm, estimated that about 200,000 people could be eligible for Medicaid under traditional expansion.

Under the Senate plan, the Mississippi Division of Medicaid would expand up to 99% of the federal poverty line, or about $15,000 per year for one person. It would require people ages 19 to 64 to work at least 30 hours per week, with exceptions for full-time students and caregivers for young children, to name a few. Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven, told reporters it could cover up to about 80,000 people, but he only expected around 40,000 to actually sign up. The federal government would not pitch in any additional supporting funds.

House Conferee Rep. Sam Creekmore, R-New Albany, told the Clarion Ledger last week he received indication that Medicaid could be one of the last things ironed out this session.

Read more about Medicaid conferees See which MS House, Senate lawmakers were picked to iron out a Medicaid expansion plan

State retirement plan bill in conference

Earlier this month, Senate Lawmakers revived an effort exert control over the Public Employment Retirement System of Mississippi Board by inserting language into another bill that would eliminate the board's public employer contribution rate increase of 2% starting July.

The bill also includes language preventing the PERS board from issuing future rate increases without legislative approval. The PERS Board previously instated a rate increase on public employers, such as cities, counties and school districts to address $25 billion in liabilities the state pension plan has.

Efforts this year to bring in more legislative oversight to the PERS board previously died in the Senate after Government Structures Committee Chairman Chris Johnson, R-Hattiesburg, said he thought more time was needed before lawmakers change up the state retirement system, and he killed House Bill 1590.

More on PERS situation MS Senate revives effort to exert control over PERS board

Online sports gambling

Last week, the Senate voted to invite conference on House Bill 1774, which seeks to establish a way to allow for online sports betting.

The bill originally passed through the House and allowed for online sports betting companies to partner with brick-and-mortar casinos.

However, Senate Gamimg Committee Chairman David Blount, D-Jackson, struck all of the language from the bill and invited conference.

The state budget

According to the state legislature's website, the legislature usually handles the issue of funding state agencies, local projects and initiatives and setting the overall state budget after most other bills.

In the 2023 session, lawmakers did not finish the state budget until nearly 2 a.m. on the final day session.

Agencies such as the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, the Mississippi Department of Transportation and the Mississippi State Health Department will have their fiscal-year budgets accounted for by the end of the session. The state's fiscal year runs July 1 through the June 30.

What happens next?

The 2024 session ends Sunday, May 5. Before then, lawmakers will have until the night of Saturday, April 27 to file conference reports, and until May 3 to pass them through both chambers.

Grant McLaughlin covers 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: Will Mississippi lawmakers approve health, education, retirement bills?