DOUGLAS CARSWELL: Why Is Mississippi’s Legislature Having Such A Hard Time Passing Conservative Agenda?

The Mississippi legislature has a clear conservative mandate yet sometimes struggles to get things done. Why?

State Governor Tate Reeves clearly has a vision for Mississippi. He wants to promote economic growth and eliminate the state income tax. He’s also pretty big on law & order, efforts to improve the education system and work force development.

Agree with him or not, it’s undeniable that he has a plan for our state.

So, too, does the Speaker of the House, Jason White. He’s made an income tax elimination bill his number one goal for this session. Under Speaker White’s leadership the House has also passed bills to extend school choice and reduce the red tape that restricts healthcare.

The House is moving forward with purpose.

But what about the Senate? What’s their plan? Two months into a three-month session, it remains a mystery. Instead, the Senate leadership has spent much of the session saying “no” to nearly every proposal on the table. School choice? (Almost) killed in committee. Restoring the ballot initiative? Denied. Income tax elimination? Don’t hold your breath.

The Senate leadership has blocked conservative reforms at every turn — without offering any ideas of their own. This is baffling.

Mississippians have overwhelmingly elected conservative leaders to every statewide office. Yet here we are, watching the Senate leadership stall policies that align with the values voters supported, all while failing to present an alternative path forward.

Normally at this stage of a session, if the House and Senate were gridlocked, you would expect a negotiation. How can the House negotiate with a Senate leadership that struggles to even articulate what it wants?

This isn’t a one-off. We’re seeing a pattern emerge.

First, the House signals its intent for reform — think Speaker White’s focus on income tax elimination and school choice this year, or school funding reform last year. Then, the Senate responds with silence — no counterproposals, no vision.

Finally, when the House sends its bills over, Senate leadership works to kill them, often without a serious alternative. Is this really the best we can do?

Contrast this with Washington. In just over a month since President Trump began his second term, we’ve seen a flurry of bold initiatives. He’s accomplished more in weeks than some Mississippi leaders have in years.

Our taxpayers deserve better than a legislature that can’t agree on basic conservative priorities like empowering parents in education or cutting taxes. For too long, the process in Jackson has been shrouded in mystery.

Bills “die in committee” with no explanation, no accountability, and no recorded votes. We’re told the support isn’t there — yet no one sees the tally. It’s time for transparency.

That’s why the Mississippi Center for Public Policy (MCPP) is stepping up. We have four clear goals for this session: Public-to-public school choice, income tax elimination, anti-DEI legislation and certificate of need repeal.

Bills addressing each of these priorities have been drafted. By session’s end, every lawmaker will have had the chance to support them. Soon, we’ll launch an online tool for our 80,000 subscribers statewide, showing which Senators, Representatives, and statewide officials earn a “Trump approval”— and which one’s side with the progressive agenda. Mississippians deserve to know who’s delivering and who’s dodging.

The roadblocks to good conservative policy must be exposed. With your support, we’re shining a spotlight on the legislature and holding our leaders accountable.

Douglas Carswell is the President and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.