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Mississippi House of Representatives

Coordinates: 32°18′14″N 90°10′55″W / 32.303889°N 90.182047°W / 32.303889; -90.182047
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Mississippi House of Representatives
Mississippi Legislature
Seal of Mississippi
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 2, 2024
Leadership
Speaker
Jason White (R)
since January 2, 2024
Speaker pro tempore
Manly Barton (R)
since January 2, 2024
Minority Leader
Robert Johnson III (D)
since January 7, 2020
Structure
Seats122
Political groups
  •   Republican (79)
  •   Democratic (41)
  •   Independent (2)
Length of term
4 years
AuthorityArticle IV, Mississippi Constitution
Salary$10,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last election
November 7, 2023
(122 seats)
Next election
November 2, 2027
(122 seats)
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
House of Representatives Chamber
Mississippi State Capitol
Jackson, Mississippi
Website
Mississippi House of Representatives
Rules
House of Representatives Rules

The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected for four-year terms. To qualify as a member of the House candidates must be at least 21 years old, a resident of Mississippi for at least four years, and a resident in the district for at least two years. Elections are held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

Membership, qualifications, and apportionment

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Article 4, Section 36 of the Mississippi Constitution specifies that the state legislature must meet for 125 days every four years and 90 days in other years. The Mississippi House of Representatives has the authority to determine rules of its own proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and expel a member with a two-thirds vote of its membership.[1] Bills must undergo three readings in each house, unless two-thirds of the house dispenses with the rules.[1] They cannot be amended to a new purpose.[1] Amendments to bills must be approved by both houses.[1]

The governor has the power to veto legislation, but legislators can override the veto with a two-thirds decision.[1] From 1890 to 2020, State representatives were authorized under the Mississippi Constitution to elect the Governor of Mississippi if no candidate had received 62 of the 122 electoral votes (one per district) and more than 50% of the popular vote. This occurred only once, in 1999, when Ronnie Musgrove had the most votes statewide, but was one electoral vote and 2936 votes (0.38%) shy of a majority: Musgrove was elected on the first ballot.[2]

Leadership

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The permanent position of Speaker pro tempore was established in a House vote on January 9, 1987.[3] (It had been previously used in temporary situations if the Speaker was not available.)[4] The Speaker Pro Tempore acts as Speaker in the Speaker's absence.[5] The Speaker Pro Tempore also serves ex officio as the Chair of the House Management Committee and as a member of the House Rules Committee.[5] The current Speaker pro tempore is Republican Manly Barton.[6]

Salary

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State representatives earn $23,500 per year.[7]

Current composition

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The following composition reflects the balance of power after the 2023 elections. Republicans secured a majority for the fourth time since 2011, the first year when Republicans won the majority of seats in the State House since 1870.[8][9] The 2023 elections were marked by new leadership, as the past speaker Phillip Gunn retired, allowing his chief lieutenant, then-Speaker Pro Tempore Jason White to become the new speaker.[9] The 2023 elections saw the seating of 25 new members.[9]

State representatives are elected every four years by the qualified electors of the district for which they are running.[10] Candidates are required to be at least 21 years of age and a resident of the state and district for which they are campaigning.[11]

Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
 Total
Democratic Republican Independent Vacant
End of previous legislature (2023) 40 76 3 119 3
Start of current legislature (2024) 41 79 2 122 0
Latest voting share 33.6% 64.8% 1.6%

List of members

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Main article: 2024-2028 Mississippi Legislature

List of speakers

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The House has elected a speaker 63 times since 1817:[12][a]

Name Party County/District Term Session
1 Thomas Barnes Claiborne October 6, 1817

–

February 8, 1818

1st
2 Edward Turner Adams January 4, 1819

–

February 1819

2nd
Adams (Natchez) January 3, 1820

–

February 12, 1820

3rd
3 Beverly R. Grayson Adams January 1, 1821

–

February 12, 1821

4th
4 Cowles Mead Jefferson November 5, 1821

–

June 30, 1822

5th
5 Gerard C. Brandon Wilkinson December 23, 1822

–

January 21, 1823

6th
6 Cowles Mead Jefferson December 22, 1823

–

January 23, 1824

7th
January 3, 1825

–

February 4, 1825

8th
7 Isaac R. Nicholson Copiah January 2, 1826

–

January 31, 1826

9th
January 1, 1827

–

February 8, 1827

10th
8 Charles B. Green[13] Adams January 7, 1828

–

February 16, 1828

11th
9 William L. Sharkey Warren January 5, 1829

–

February 6, 1829

12th
10 Joseph Dunbar Jefferson January 4, 1830

–

February 13, 1830

13th
11 M. F. Degrafenreid Wilkinson 1832–1833
12 David Pembel Adams 1833–1834
13 A. L. Bingaman Adams 1834–1836
14 John Irvin Carroll 1836–1837
15 William Vannerson Lawrence 1837–1838
16 J. W. King Rankin 1838–1840
17 Jesse Speight Democratic Lowndes 1840–1841
18 James A. Ventress Wilkinson 1841–1842
19 Robert W. Roberts Democratic Scott 1842–1844
20 J. L. Totten Democratic Marshall 1844–1846
21 James Whitfield Democratic Lowndes 1846–1848
22 John J. McRae Democratic Clarke 1848–1852
23 William S. Patton Lauderdale 1852–1854
24 Hiram Cassedy Franklin 1854–1856
25 William S. Barry Democratic Lowndes 1856–1858
26 James L. Autry Marshall 1858–1859
27 J. A. P. Campbell Attala 1859–1861
28 William A. Lake Warren 1861–1862
29 J. P. Scales Democratic Carroll 1862–1863
30 Lock E. Houston Monroe 1863–1865
31 Samuel J. Gholson Democratic Monroe 1865–1866
32 Freeman E. Franklin Republican Yazoo 1870
33 Henry Waterman Warren Republican Leake 1871–1872
34 John R. Lynch Republican Adams 1872–1873
35 Hugh M. Street Democratic Prentiss 1873–1874
36 Isaac D. Shadd Warren 1874–1876
37 Hugh M. Street Democratic Prentiss 1876–1878
38 William A. Percy Democratic Washington 1878–1880
39 Benjamin F. Johns Democratic Amite 1880–1882
40 W. H. H. Tison Democratic Lee 1882
41 William M. Inge Democratic Alcorn 1884–1886
42 Jacob H. Sharp Lowndes 1886–1888
43 Charles B. Mitchell Democratic Pontotoc 1888–1890
44 James S. Madison Democratic Noxubee 1890–1892
45 Hugh M. Street Democratic Lauderdale January 5, 1892

–

January 2, 1894

1892–1896
46 J. K. Vardaman Democratic Leflore January 2, 1894

–

February 10, 1894

47 James F. McCool Democratic Attala January 7, 1896

–

February 11, 1898

1896–1900
48 A. J. Russell Democratic Lauderdale January 2, 1900

–

March 5, 1902

1900–1904
49 Emmet Thomas Democratic Washington 1904–1908
50 Hugh M. Street Democratic Lauderdale 1908–1912
51 Hillrie M. Quin Democratic Hinds 1912–1916
52 Mike Conner Democratic Covington January 1916

–

March 1918

1916–1920
1920–1924
53 Thomas L. Bailey Democratic 1924–1936
54 Horace Stansel Democratic Sunflower 1936–1936
55 Fielding L. Wright Democratic 1936–1940
56 Samuel Lumpkin Democratic Lee 1940–1944
57 Walter Sillers Jr. Democratic Bolivar 1944–1966
58 John R. Junkin Democratic Adams 1966–1976
59 Buddie Newman Democratic 1976–1988
60 Tim Ford Democratic 18 January 5, 1988

–

December 20, 1991

1988–1992
1992–2004
61 William J. McCoy Democratic 3 January 6, 2004

–

May 18, 2007

2004–2008
2008–2012
62 Philip Gunn Republican 56 January 3, 2012

–

April 5, 2015

2012–2016
January 6, 2016

–

March 29, 2019

2016–2020
January 2, 2020

–

April 2, 2023

2020–2024
63 Jason White Republican 48 January 2, 2024

–

Present

2024–2028

List of speakers pro tempore

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Source for session dates:[5]

Before the position was made permanent, Buddie Newman served as Speaker pro tempore in three different stints between 1974 and 1975.[14][15]

Name Party County/District Term Session
1st Cecil L. Simmons Democratic 37th[16][17] January 14, 1987[18][16]

–

August 29, 1987

1984–1988
January 5, 1988

–

December 20, 1991

1988–1992
2nd Robert G. Clark Jr.[19][20][21] Democratic 47th[22] January 7, 1992

–

September 16, 1992

1992
January 5, 1993

–

April 11, 1995

1993–1996
January 2, 1996

–

July 22, 1999

1996–2000
January 4, 2000

–

April 16, 2003

2000–2004
3rd J. P. Compretta[23][5] Republican 122nd January 6, 2004

–

May 18, 2007

2004–2008
January 8, 2008

–

2012

2008–2012
4th Greg Snowden[24][25] Republican 83rd January 3, 2012

–

April 5, 2015

2012–2016
January 6, 2016

–

March 19, 2019

2016–2020
5th Jason White[26] Republican 48th January 2, 2020

–

April 2, 2023

2020–2024
6th Manly Barton Republican 109th[6] January 2, 2024

–

Present

2024–2028

Past composition of the House of Representatives

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Main article: Mississippi Legislature § See also

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ It is 62 speakers with the most recent election of Jason White.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Constitutional Provisions The Legislature And Legislation Rules of Procedure, Mississippi Legislature (accessed May 31, 2013)
  2. ^ Breen, Dallas (January 6, 2021). "Mississippi Voted Out Its Electoral College-Like Election Process". Mississippi Free Press. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  3. ^ "House vote trims speaker's power". Newspapers.com. January 10, 1987. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  4. ^ "Three times in 2 years". Newspapers.com. May 11, 1975. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Delbert Hosemann, State of Mississippi (2012). Mississippi Official and Statistical Register Blue Book 2008-2012. pp. 104, 147–148.
  6. ^ a b https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/members/house/Barton.xml
  7. ^ "Comparison of state legislative salaries". Ballotpedia. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  8. ^ Wilkinson, Kaija (November 10, 2011). "GOP takes House; Busby leads Jones as of last count, but margin still very thin". gulflive.com. The Press-Register. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Corder, Frank (January 2, 2024). "Mississippi Legislature Gavels in for New Term". Magnolia Tribune. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  10. ^ Article 4, Section 34, Mississippi Constitution (accessed May 31, 2013)
  11. ^ Article 4, Section 41 Archived June 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Mississippi Constitution (accessed May 31, 2013)
  12. ^ Watson, Michael (2021). "Historical and Statistical Information" (PDF). 2020-2024 Statistical Register. Mississippi Secretary of State.
  13. ^ "Journal of the House of Representatives of the state of Mississippi". Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Mississippi. Jan 1828 11th Sess. January 1828 – via LLMC Digital.
  14. ^ Mississippi. Legislature (January 1, 1980). "Hand book : biographical data of members of Senate and House, personnel of standing committees [1980]". Mississippi Legislature Hand Books.
  15. ^ "Three times in 2 years". Newspapers.com. May 11, 1975. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Mississippi Legislature 1988 Handbook. 1988. p. 27.
  17. ^ "house/1984-88.tif - House of Representatives (1948-2016)". da.mdah.ms.gov. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  18. ^ "Past week very eventful with rules changes, Allain's eventful speech". Newspapers.com. January 21, 1987. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  19. ^ Eric Clark, State of Mississippi (2004). Mississippi Official and Statistical Register Blue Book 2000-2004. p. 61.
  20. ^ "Clark". June 6, 2000. Archived from the original on June 6, 2000. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  21. ^ "house/1992-96.tif - House of Representatives (1948-2016)". da.mdah.ms.gov. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  22. ^ "1992 MS Legislature". Newspapers.com. November 6, 1991. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  23. ^ Eric Clark, State of Mississippi (2008). Mississippi Official and Statistical Register Blue Book 2004-2008. p. 102.
  24. ^ Delbert Hosemann, State of Mississippi (2014). Mississippi Official and Statistical Register Blue Book 2012-2016. p. 105.
  25. ^ Delbert Hosemann, State of Mississippi (2017). Mississippi Official and Statistical Register Blue Book 2016-2020. p. 121.
  26. ^ "2020-2024 Mississippi Blue Book | Michael Watson Secretary of state". sos.ms.gov. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
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32°18′14″N 90°10′55″W / 32.303889°N 90.182047°W / 32.303889; -90.182047

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