Mississippi State Senate facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mississippi Senate
Mississippi State Legislature
Type
Type	Upper house
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 5, 2021
Leadership
President	Delbert Hosemann (R) Since January 14, 2020
President pro tempore	Dean Kirby (R) Since January 7, 2020
Minority Leader	Derrick Simmons (D) Since July 31, 2017
Structure
Seats	52
Political groups	Republican (36)      Democratic (16)
Length of term	4 years
Authority	Article IV, Mississippi Constitution
Salary	$10,000/year + per diem
Elections
Last election	November 5, 2019 (52 seats)
Next election	November 7, 2023 (52 seats)
Redistricting	Legislative Control
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber Mississippi State Capitol Jackson, Mississippi
Website
Mississippi State Legislature

The Mississippi Senate is like the "upper house" of the Mississippi Legislature. This is the main law-making group for the state of Mississippi. The Senate works together with the Mississippi House of Representatives at the Mississippi State Capitol building in Jackson.

There are 52 senators in the Mississippi Senate. Each senator represents a different area, called a district. In 2010, about 57,063 people lived in each district. Right now, the Republican Party has 36 senators, and the Democratic Party has 16. This means the Republican Party has more power in the state government.

Just like the U.S. Senate, the Mississippi Senate has important jobs. They can approve or reject people the governor wants to appoint for state jobs. They also create new laws and make changes to existing ones.

How Senators Are Chosen

The rules for the Senate are in the Mississippi Constitution from 1890.

Becoming a Senator

• There can be up to 52 senators.
• Senators serve for four years.
• There is no limit on how many times a senator can be re-elected.

To become a senator, a person must:

• Be at least 25 years old.
• Be a registered voter.
• Have lived in Mississippi for the past four years.
• Have lived in the district they want to represent for the past two years.

Elections and Vacancies

Elections for the Senate happen on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. This is part of the state's general elections.

If a senator's seat becomes empty before June 1st, the governor must call for a special election. This election happens within 30 days, and people in the district get 40 days' notice. If a seat becomes empty after June 1st, there is no special election until the next regular election.

What the Senate Does

The state legislature has specific times when they must meet. They meet for 125 days every four years, and for 90 days in other years. The Senate starts its yearly meeting on the Tuesday after the first Monday in January.

Making Rules and Laws

The Senate has the power to:

• Make its own rules for how it works.
• Punish its members if they act in a disorderly way.
• Remove a member if two-thirds of the senators agree.

For a bill (a proposed law) to pass, it must be read three times in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. This rule can be skipped if two-thirds of the members agree. Any changes to a bill must be approved by both houses.

Drawing District Lines

The Senate and the House of Representatives work together to draw the lines for both U.S. Congress districts and state legislative districts.

• The governor can say "no" (veto) to the U.S. Congress district lines.
• But the governor cannot veto the state legislative district lines. These are approved by a special agreement between both houses.

Overriding a Veto

The governor can stop a bill from becoming law by using a veto. However, the senators and representatives can still make the bill a law if two-thirds of them vote to override the governor's veto.

Senate Leaders

The Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi is the leader of the Senate, called the President of the Senate. This person only votes if there is a tie.

President Pro Tempore

If the Lieutenant Governor is not there, the President pro tempore leads the Senate. This person is chosen by the main political party in the Senate and then confirmed by all senators. In Mississippi, the President Pro Tempore has less power than in some other states.

The Lieutenant Governor is the only one who can choose the leaders for the different Senate committees. This is true no matter how many members each party has. Other leaders, like the Majority Leader and Minority Leader, are chosen by their own political parties.

Currently, the President of the Senate is Delbert Hosemann, who is the Lieutenant Governor. The President Pro Tempore is Dean Kirby from the Republican Party.

Who is in the Senate (2020–2024)

This table shows the senators serving from 2020 to 2024.

Images for kids

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  A panoramic photo of the Mississippi State Senate from 1924.