As Legislative Leadership and the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees considers potential changes to how our public institutions of higher learning are funded, we believe it is important that policymakers have a complete, independent, and data-driven picture of the resources currently available to each institution and the potential impact of any new funding formula. Our request to the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure asks PEE

Mississippi is once again facing important decisions about how our political districts—and ultimately our political power—may be shaped. Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais, state leaders have created separate House and Senate Select Committees as well as a Joint Redistricting and Reapportionment Committee to examine possible mid-decade redistricting. The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus wants Mississippians to understand one important poin

By Rep. Kabir Karriem | Chairman, Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus Governor Tate Reeves called the Mississippi Legislature into the 2026 Extraordinary Session with less than 24 hours' notice to consider the Mississippi Youth Court Reform Act of 2026, one of the most significant overhauls of Mississippi’s juvenile justice system in decades. There is no question that our youth court system deserves thoughtful reform. Our children, families, judges, prosecutors, public defen

By Rep. Kabir Karriem | Chairman, Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus There are moments when a state has the opportunity to tell the world who it really is. Recently, I visited The Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson. Both tell the story of our state. Both are truthful. Yet each tells that story through a different lens. As I walked through those exhibits, I realized the most important story of Mississippi isn’t confined to museum walls. It is being written every day by the c

A slate of new Mississippi laws took effect July 1, impacting areas ranging from criminal justice and education to health care and retirement benefits. Rep. Kabir Karriem, chairman of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus, recently highlighted several of the new laws in a public information flyer, encouraging residents to stay informed about how policy changes may affect their daily lives. Here’s a closer look at several key measures and what they mean in practice: Crimina