LobbyComply Blog

Gov. Phil Bryant has appointed Mississippi Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Cindy Hyde-Smith to the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Thad Cochran.

Cochran is stepping down due to health problems on April 1.

Hyde-Smith will be sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence in April and will run for the remainder of Cochran’s term in the November 6 special election.

U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran is retiring because of ill health on April 1.

Gov. Phil Bryant has 10 days after receiving an official notice of the vacancy to temporarily appoint a replacement until a successor is elected.

Bryant has yet to choose a replacement for the vacant seat. The special election will be held on November 6.

Gov. Phil Bryant has called a special election to fill the vacancy for House District 30 on May 8.

The seat was vacated by Rep. Robert Huddleston, who had two years remaining in his term.

If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a runoff election will be held on May 29.

Pictured: Former Rep. Robert Huddleston

State Sen. Sean Tindell resigned earlier this week to be sworn in as a judge for the Mississippi Court of Appeals.

Gov. Phil Bryant announced a special election on December 19 to fill the vacated District 49 seat.

A runoff election will occur on January 9, 2018, if no candidate receives a majority of the vote.

Gov. Phil Bryant set a special election to fill the open Senate District 10 seat for November 7, 2017.

Democrat Bill Stone vacated the seat to become the manager of the Holly Springs Utility Department. Individuals are prohibited from concurrently serving in the executive and legislative branches.

Candidates must qualify by September 18 and a runoff, if necessary, will be held November 28. District 10 encompasses Marshall and Tate Counties.

Gov. Phil Bryant announced special elections for House Districts 38 and 54 will take place on November 7, 2017.

Democrat Tyrone Ellis retired from his District 38 seat and Republican Alex Monsour left this District 54 seat to become a Vicksburg alderman.

A special runoff election, if necessary, will be held on November 28, 2017. The deadline for candidates to qualify is September 18.

Gov. Phil Bryant announced a special election will take place on September 12, 2017, to fill a vacancy in the House District 102 seat. Republican Tony Barker left the seat to become mayor of Hattiesburg.

A runoff, if necessary, will be held on October 3.

Two more special elections are expected, but are not yet scheduled, for House Districts 38 and 54.

Lawmakers finished a special session in one day, adjourning late Monday, June 5, 2017.

The Legislature passed funding bills for the attorney general’s office, infrastructure projects, and the Department of Transportation.

Gov. Phil Bryant was forced to call the special session to resolve budget issues prior to July 1, the beginning of a new fiscal year.

Lawmakers return to Jackson today for a special session to deal with unresolved budget issues.

Spending plans for the attorney general’s office and the Department of Transportation were incomplete when the legislature adjourned its regular session in April. The governor, who sets the session’s agenda, is also proposing an increase to the amount of money flowing into the state’s rainy-day fund.

Lawmakers hope to complete their work in just a day or two, with the first day costing taxpayers more than $70,000, and each additional day costing nearly $50,000.

Gov. Phil Bryant has set a special election to fill a vacancy in the Mississippi House of Representatives.

Rep. Mark Formby vacated the District 108 seat to become chairman of the state Workers Compensation Commission.

The election is set for July 25, 2017, with a runoff, if necessary, on August 15.

The qualifying deadline for candidates is June 5.

Gov. Phil Bryant announced a special session of the state legislature will begin on June 5, 2017. Lawmakers will continue work on the budget for fiscal year 2018 left unfinished at the end of the regular session.

Gov. Bryant, who has sole authority to call special sessions and set the agenda, will announce other issues, if any, the session will cover closer to June 5.

The Mississippi Legislature adjourned the 2017 regular session sine die on March 29, 2017, days before its anticipated adjournment date of April 2.

Gov. Phil Bryant is, however, expected to call a special session before July 1, the date a new budget is needed for the next fiscal year.

The House and Senate reached a stalemate over infrastructure funding and an internet sales tax. Gov. Bryant said he would call the special session when lawmakers reach an agreement.

The Senate unanimously passed a campaign finance bill prohibiting the personal use of campaign funds. Senate Bill 2689, passed with little debate, is nearly identical to a House-Senate conference measure from last year.

The House, earlier in this legislative session, passed a similar bill; however, the Senate version leaves oversight of campaign finance with the Secretary of State, whereas the House version gives enforcement powers to the state ethics commission.

Additionally, the Senate version does not require itemization of credit card payments. Currently, lawmakers must itemize any expenditure over $200, but are able to bypass this by only listing payments to the credit card company.

Each house can pass the other’s version and send it to the governor, or meet in a conference committee to work out the differences.

Two House district special elections will take place on November 8, 2016. Gov. Phil Bryant announced elections for House Districts 89 and 106 will coincide with the general election.

The District 89 seat became vacant when state Rep. Bobby Shows retired.

State Rep. Herb Frierson left his District 106 seat to become commissioner of revenue.

If no candidate receives a majority on November 8, a runoff election will be held November 29.