Mississippi House of Representatives
Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox legislature 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
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.<ref name="constitution">Constitutional Provisions The Legislature And Legislation Rules of Procedure, Mississippi Legislature (accessed May 31, 2013)</ref> Bills must undergo three readings in each house, unless two-thirds of the house dispenses with the rules.<ref name="constitution"/> They cannot be amended to a new purpose.<ref name="constitution"/> Amendments to bills must be approved by both houses.<ref name="constitution"/>
The governor has the power to veto legislation, but legislators can override the veto with a two-thirds decision.<ref name="constitution"/> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Leadership
The permanent position of Speaker pro tempore was established in a House vote on January 9, 1987.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (It had been previously used in temporary situations if the Speaker was not available.)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Speaker Pro Tempore acts as Speaker in the Speaker's absence.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref name=":2" /> The current Speaker pro tempore is Republican Manly Barton.<ref name=":3">https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/members/house/Barton.xml</ref>
Salary
State representatives earn $23,500 per year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Current composition
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name=":0" /> The 2023 elections saw the seating of 25 new members.<ref name=":0" />
State representatives are elected every four years by the qualified electors of the district for which they are running.<ref>Article 4, Section 34, Mississippi Constitution (accessed May 31, 2013)</ref> Candidates are required to be at least 21 years of age and a resident of the state and district for which they are campaigning.<ref>Article 4, Section 41 Template:Webarchive, Mississippi Constitution (accessed May 31, 2013)</ref>
| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | style="background-color:Template:Party color" | | |||
| Democratic | Republican | Ind | Vacant | ||
| End of previous legislature (November 7, 2023) | 40 | Template:Party shading/Republican|76 | 3 | 119 | 3 |
| Start of current legislature (January 2, 2024) | 41 | Template:Party shading/Republican|79 | 2 | 122 | 0 |
| December 5, 2024<ref>Andy Stepp (District 23) dies in office. [1]</ref> | rowspan="2" Template:Party shading/Republican|78 | 121 | 1 | ||
| December 19, 2024<ref>Charles Young Jr. (District 82) dies in office. [2]</ref> | 40 | 120 | 2 | ||
| April 22, 2025<ref>Republican Perry Van Bailey and Democrat Gregory Elliott are elected to fill the two vacancies in special elections.[3]</ref> | 41 | rowspan="2"Template:Party shading/Republican|79 | 122 | 0 | |
| June 30, 2025<ref>Democrat Orlando Paden (District 26) resigned after being elected mayor of Clarksdale.[4]</ref> | 40 | 121 | 1 | ||
| Latest voting share | Template:Percentage | Template:Party shading/Republican| Template:Percentage | Template:Percentage | ||
List of members
List of speakers
The House has elected a speaker 63 times since 1817:<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Efn
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List of speakers pro tempore
Source for session dates:<ref name=":2" />
Before the position was made permanent, Buddie Newman served as Speaker pro tempore in three different stints between 1974 and 1975.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Name | Party | County/District | Term | Session | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | File:C L Simmons.png | Cecil L. Simmons | Democratic | 37th<ref name=":02">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | January 14, 1987<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":02" />
– August 29, 1987 |
1984–1988 |
| January 5, 1988
– December 20, 1991 |
1988–1992 | |||||
| 2nd | File:Robert G. Clark.jpg | Robert G. Clark Jr.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Democratic | 47th<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 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 | File:J. P. Compretta 2010.jpg | J. P. Compretta<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":2" /> | Republican | 122nd | January 6, 2004
– May 18, 2007 |
2004–2008 |
| January 8, 2008
– 2012 |
2008–2012 | |||||
| 4th | File:Blank.gif | Greg Snowden<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> | Republican | 83rd | January 3, 2012
– April 5, 2015 |
2012–2016 |
| January 6, 2016
– March 19, 2019 |
2016–2020 | |||||
| 5th | File:Jason White.png | Jason White<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Republican | 48th | January 2, 2020
– April 2, 2023 |
2020–2024 |
| 6th | File:Blank.gif | Manly Barton | Republican | 109th<ref name=":3" /> | January 2, 2024
– Present |
2024–2028 |
Past composition of the House of Representatives
See also
- Mississippi State Senate
- Mississippi State Capitol
- Mississippi Legislature
- List of Mississippi state legislatures
Notes
References
External links
Template:Mississippi House of Representatives Template:Navboxes