Mississippi lawmakers fail to override governor’s vetoes

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Mississippi lawmakers returned to the State Capitol expecting to override one or more of the governor’s vetoes, but after hours of discussions, many behind closed doors, all vetoes remained in place.

The House voted to override two of Gov. Tate Reeves’ vetoes: one involving opioid settlement money and another for the Gulf Coast Restoration Revolving Loan Program. The Senate was not successful in any of their votes.

“At the end of the day, when you look at the votes – which is what’s the record – then it was Democrats who sustained his vetoes,” said Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Jackson County.

Senate brings one bill to vote

The Senate brought up only one bill for a vote: the attempt to override the partial veto on the opioid settlement money. The House had already voted to override but needed at least a two-thirds vote in the Senate to make it official. The vote failed.

Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons said Democrats did not side with the governor when they cast their nay votes.

“We wanted to take up Senate Bill 2477, the rule of health transformation bill, first…because we did not take that bill up, unfortunately, Democrats were not interested in anything else,” Simmons said.

Governor urged lawmakers not to override rural healthcare veto

Leading up to the session, Reeves urged members not to override the veto on the Rural Healthcare Transformation Program. He said it would jeopardize federal funds.

“I certainly think it made a difference. And look, you know, if you’re a governor, you’re gonna do that. It’s your veto. You don’t want it to be overridden,” Wiggins said.

Rep. Sam Creekmore, R-House Public Health Chairman, said the House was prepared to vote to override. The language in the Senate bill was theirs, and they believed it was an oversight to ensure funds ended up in the most impactful locations.

“I truly believe they had the votes. For whatever reason, politically or whatever, it did not come up,” Creekmore said.

The lack of action from the legislature will not prevent funds from coming into the state.

The Senate also brought forward one resolution the House had already passed earlier in the afternoon. It would have helped in getting a repealer placed on a youth court bill. That vote failed in the Senate.

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