JACKSON — Republican officials are hoping for a quick special session to patch holes in the Mississippi budget. But there’s no guarantee Democrats will sit quietly and go along with that plan.
Gov. Phil Bryant summoned legislators back to the Capitol for a special session starting Tuesday morning.
Mississippi could be up to $75 million short for the $6 billion-plus spending plan during the budget year that ends at midnight Thursday.
The governor needs legislators’ permission so he can take more money from the $350 million rainy day fund.
Bryant has already made two rounds of budget cuts and taken $35 million from the fund. State tax collections ran $206 million short of original estimates through May.
Only the governor can call a special session, and he sets the agenda for subjects legislators may consider. Bryant is not asking them to change the budget for the year that starts Friday, but many Democrats say changes are needed.
Funding for most state agencies is being cut in the 2017 budget, and many agency directors have expressed concerns about a move to sweep special funds into the general state fund.
Special funds are generally fees collected for specific purposes, such as leases paid to the secretary of state’s office for public tidelands.
Republican legislative leaders, including senators who came up with the plan, have said putting the special funds into general state spending will provide more transparency in how public money is spent. But several agency leaders, including some Republicans elected statewide, have said the change will cause confusion and could put some programs at risk.
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