Mississippi lawmakers starting to examine budget requests

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Mississippi legislators are holding a single day of hearings to start considering state agencies’ budget requests for the year that begins July 1.

The Joint Legislative Budget Committee will hear Friday from education officials and leaders of the Division of Medicaid, the state Supreme Court and the departments of public safety and wildlife, fisheries and parks.

They are not scheduled to hear from the Department of Corrections, where leaders have said for years that they need more money to increase the pay for prison guards.

They also are not hearing from the Department of Mental Health. A federal judge said Sept. 3 that he would appoint an expert to oversee Mississippi’s mental health system because the state is doing too little to serve people outside the confinement of mental hospitals.

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