Kicking off the 2026 session
Thank you for the honor of being voted back to Jackson. It is a true privilege to represent you in the Senate.
I am happy to welcome a few new colleagues to the floor this year. We have Johnny DuPree from Hattiesburg, Kamesha Mumford from Jackson, and Theresa Gillespie Isom from Olive Branch. I am also glad to welcome Justin Pope from the town of Pope. Justin represents Leflore, Tallahatchie, and Panola counties, so he is a close neighbor to us here in Quitman County. He actually sits right next to me in the Senate chamber, and I look forward to working alongside him.
This session is going to be a very important one. The world is changing fast. In times like these, we have to make a real effort to preserve what is good and fight for what is right. It is vital to stay engaged with what is happening here at the Capitol. We are all in this thing together.
Legislative Update
The first week in session the Mississippi Senate committed to a $500 million dollar infusion to the Public Employees Retirement System, (PERS) with the passage of Senate Bill 2004, the Mississippi PERS Stability Act. SB2004 also dedicates a $50 million per year appropriation to PERS through 2036.
The Senate passed three education bills:
Senate Bill 2001 provides a minimum $2,000 pay raise for all K–12 teachers, assistant teachers, community college instructors, and university instructors and professors statewide.
Senate Bill 2002 removes a sending district’s veto power that currently allows it to prevent a student from transferring after being accepted into another district. Receiving districts will continue to control all admissions decisions. (Public to Public school choice)
Senate Bill 2003 seeks to address the teacher shortage in Mississippi by facilitating the return of retired educators to the classroom. SB2003 increases the take-home pay of retired teachers from 50% to 65%, shortens the post-retirement sit-out period from 90 days to 45 days, permits any retired state employee to teach with a temporary teaching certificate, and broadens the eligibility criteria from only critical shortage areas to all districts statewide.
The Senate also confirmed the appointments of four members to the State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering.
I plan to send these updates every week so you know exactly what we are doing. Thank you for trusting me to be your voice. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
