Gov. Tate Reeves released his Fiscal Year 2026 executive budget recommendations on Friday, highlighting an agenda that he believes will benefit Mississippians across the state.
In a press release, Reeves expressed that the plan he has laid out for lawmakers and other leaders will work off the progress made during his first four-plus years in office. The Republican governor now in his second term cited record-breaking economic development, advancements in workforce development, improvements in education, and investments in infrastructure improvements and capital city law enforcement.
“Mississippi continues to shatter records,” Reeves said. “We finalized the largest economic development project in state history, allocated hundreds of millions toward infrastructure, and invested in the future of our workforce. As our unprecedented economic success has continued, we have seen our unemployment rate drop to its lowest level in state history with the creation of thousands of high-paying jobs in Mississippi. This will have a lasting impact on our state and the people who live here, and we’re not letting up anytime soon.”
“On top of this, we’ve made it a priority to keep Mississippians safe,” he continued. “That’s why we invested in the men and women of the Capitol Police who are making our capital city safer – for all Mississippi. Our state also continues to enjoy historical educational success. Mississippi’s high school graduation rate is at an all-time high and remains better than the national average. When it comes to educating the next generation of Mississippi leaders, we are getting the job done. But there will always be more work to do.”
Of the work needed to be done, Reeves encouraged that the following be completed during FY2026:
- Immediately reduce the income tax to 3% and continue phasing it out each subsequent calendar year until full elimination is reached in 2029. Reeves believes this will pair with future economic success, as well.
- Revitalize and modernize ports, airports, and railways through a $20 million revolving loan fund at the Mississippi Development Authority.
- Raise education standards by the Mississippi Department of Education revising its accountability system to place a greater weight on proficiency and less weight on growth in academic achievements. Reeves also encourages the MDE to take the next step in college and career readiness courses.
- Strengthen safety efforts through a more sustainable funding model for 911 services, the establishment of a uniform youth court, and further funding for Capitol Police. Reeves would also like to see regional prisons further funded and a restructuring of the state’s parole and probation statute.
- Ready for the U.S. semiquincentennial in 2026, which President-elect Donald Trump has already touted celebrating through a nationwide effort, by allocating $5 million for statewide grant programs, events, and marketing.
“In the midst of incredible success, I proudly share several of my priorities for Fiscal Year 2026,” Reeves said. “In short, we will continue doing what’s necessary to build an even brighter future for Mississippi.”
The full FY2026 executive budget recommendation can be found here.
