Mississippi House of Representatives

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 in which he or she is running for at least two years. Elections are held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

Mississippi House of Representatives
Mississippi State Legislature
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 7, 2020
Leadership
House Speaker
Philip Gunn (R)
since January 3, 2012
Speaker pro Tempore
Jason White (R)
since January 7, 2020
Minority Leader
Robert Johnson (D)
Structure
Seats122
Political groups
  •   Republican (74)
  •   Democratic (45)
  •   Independent (2)
Length of term
4 years
AuthorityArticle IV, Mississippi Constitution
Salary$10,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last election
November 5, 2019
(122 seats)
Next election
November 7, 2023
(122 seats)
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
House of Representatives Chamber
Mississippi State Capitol
Jackson, Mississippi
Website
Mississippi State Legislature

Powers and process

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.[1] Bills must undergo three readings in each house, unless two-thirds of the house dispenses with the rules.[1] They cannot be amended to a new purpose.[1] Amendments to bills must be approved by both houses.[1]

The governor has the power to veto legislation, but legislators can override the veto with a two-thirds decision.[1]

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.

Salary

State representatives earn $10,000 per year.[2]

Composition

The following composition reflects the balance of power after the 2019 elections, which was the third election since Reconstruction to give a majority of seats in the State House to the Republicans.[3] State representatives are elected every four years by the qualified electors of the district for which they are running.[4] Candidates are required to be at least 21 years of age and a resident of the state and district for which they are campaigning.[5]

Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
 Total
Democratic Republican Independent Vacant
End of previous legislature (2019) 44 74 2 120 2
Begin 46 75 1 122 0
January 7, 2020[6] 44 75 3 122 0
Latest voting share 36.1% 61.5% 2.5%

Past composition of the House of Representatives
Main article: Political party strength in Mississippi

See also

References
  1. Constitutional Provisions The Legislature And Legislation Rules of Procedure, Mississippi Legislature (accessed May 31, 2013)
  2. Legislative Salaries by State, Empirecenter.org (accessed May 31, 2013)
  3. "GOP takes Miss. House for 1st time in years". Boston.Com. November 14, 2011.
  4. Article 4, Section 34, Oklahoma Constitution (accessed May 31, 2013)
  5. Article 4, Section 41 Archived June 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Oklahoma Constitution (accessed May 31, 2013)
  6. Harrison, Bobby (January 7, 2020). "Two House Democrats become independents as new four-year term begins". mississippitoday.org. Retrieved January 7, 2020.

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