The Mississippi House of Representatives and Senate are each planning to take Friday off ahead of the potential for a winter storm currently forecast to swarm the Magnolia State, specifically northern counties.
On Tuesday, the opening day of this year’s session, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann briefly mentioned the probability of allowing senators to adjourn early Thursday to get a head start traveling back to their home districts to weather the storm. The chamber went on to solidify that plan on Wednesday.
“We have significant weather issues for our senators from north Mississippi. We’re very hopeful to complete our work promptly in the morning, so those of you from north Mississippi – in light of the weather that we’ll be getting – will be able to get to your homes for the weekend,” Hosemann said upon gaveling in Wednesday.
Hosemann also encouraged committees to meet Wednesday afternoon or plan accordingly for Thursday to ensure members can depart from the state capitol in Jackson with plenty of time before roads freeze.
Over in the House, Speaker Jason White and company joined in on the idea but not without a playful jab at their cross-chamber counterparts.
“I don’t anticipate us not being here very many Fridays, but we will adjourn tomorrow for the week and go home and mirror our Senate counterparts. I hope it’s one of the only things we mirror them on this session,” White joked, getting a collective laugh from his chamber.
Beginning late Thursday afternoon and going through Friday, Mississippi is expected to be blanketed with winter weather. Frigid conditions such as snow, sleet, and freezing rain could be seen in all parts of the state, with the northern part expected to receive the brunt of the possibly dangerous conditions.
Both chambers will gavel in at 9 a.m. on Thursday and adjourn for the long weekend soon thereafter. Upon returning on the other side of the cold-weather storm, the session is expected to heat up quickly as Speaker White noted Monday that people can expect the House to pass “at least one, maybe two major pieces of legislation on tax reform almost certainly and maybe even an education piece” by the end of next week.
