OPINION: Mississippi deserves better

By Sen. Rod Hickman

JA Guest Writer

The people of Mississippi deserve a government that is transparent, accountable, and serious about its responsibilities. What happened during the 2025 special session of the Mississippi Legislature was anything but.

After a full 90-day regular session, we failed to pass a state budget – the most basic duty of any legislative body. That failure forced a special session at taxpayer expense, not due to a natural disaster or public emergency, but due to political dysfunction and poor leadership. Unfortunately, instead of fixing the process, the special session only made it worse.

On the day we returned to the Capitol, legislators were handed nearly 100 appropriations bills totaling more than $7.8 billion in public spending – and were expected to vote on them immediately. No time for review. No chance for public input. No opportunity to amend. That is not governing – it’s rubber-stamping. And it disrespects both the legislative process and the people we serve.

I voted “no” or “present” on every one of those bills. Not because I oppose funding public schools, health care, or public safety – I believe in fully supporting the essential work of government. But I will not be complicit in a system asking legislators to approve billions of dollars without knowing exactly on what we’re voting. We cannot fund a government in the dark and then ask the people to trust everything was done in their best interest.

What’s worse, the Republican leadership completely ignored the growing fiscal storm on the horizon: deep federal cuts that will hit Mississippi harder than most other states.

In 2022, Mississippi received $12.3 billion in federal funds – more than one-third of our total state revenue. Over 640,000 Mississippians depend on Medicaid, a program that is 77% federally funded. Half of our children are covered by it. Fifty-seven percent of births in our state rely on it. Yet new federal proposals would strip coverage from nearly 119,000 Mississippians and leave Mississippi holding the bag – with no plan in place.

To make matters even more troubling, the Legislature passed House Bill 19, which contains provisions that could jeopardize the stability of our entire Medicaid program. Rather than addressing those concerns head-on or working to remove the harmful language, leadership pushed the bill through and crossed their fingers, hoping the governor would use his veto power to correct the mistake. That is not sound policy. That is not leadership. We cannot continue to make billion-dollar decisions based on political hope instead of legislative responsibility.

SNAP, the food assistance program serving 384,800 Mississippians, faces similar threats. Proposed federal changes would shift billions in costs to our state – requiring Mississippi to cover 25% of SNAP benefits and 75% of administrative costs. That’s nearly $2 billion in new state obligations. But instead of planning for these changes, we passed a budget without any real discussion of how they’ll impact our people. 

Mississippi has some of the highest poverty, food insecurity, and healthcare access issues in the country. Nearly 28% of our children live in food-insecure homes. One in three adults is at risk of eviction. These are not just policy points – they’re lived realities for our constituents. And they demand a serious, inclusive, and transparent budgeting process.

Great ideas that move Mississippi forward don’t come from top-down directives or closed-door decisions. They come from open debate, thoughtful consideration, and honest collaboration – from bringing everyone to the table. When we govern behind closed doors, we lose the opportunity to find better solutions, and we lose the trust of the people.

Mississippi deserves better than rushed decisions made in the dark. We need a reformed budget process allowing time for scrutiny, considering real-world impacts, and respecting the public’s right to know how their money is being spent.

This isn’t about partisanship. It’s about principles. It’s about doing our jobs with integrity and standing up for the people electing us. We can’t keep doing business this way – and I won’t be silent about it. It’s time to fix what’s broken.

Sen. Rod Hickman represents District 32 in the Mississippi State Senate. Follow him on Twitter @senrodhickman.