As of yesterday, there were five items on the agenda. But, overnight, sneaky Haley added three more, including voter identification and pay raises for judges and district attorneys.
From the Clarion-Ledger:
An angry Mississippi House has adjourned the first day of a special session at the state Capitol having passed the only two bills they agreed with the Senate on: the reauthorization of a state unemployment agency and a bill to speed construction of a Jackson toll road.
But keeping the Mississippi Department of Unemployment Security open is still unresolved. Senators could not agree on a reauthorization bill today and are expected to reconvene
tomorrow.
The departure of state representatives leaves several issues hanging that Gov. Haley Barbour wanted addressed. Among them: changes to an immigration bill he signed, voter identification rules, copper theft restrictions and pay raises for judges and district attorneys.
Some House Democrats voiced displeasure that Barbour gave them late notice of the items included in the special session. They and Senate Democrats also said taxpayer money should not be wasted discussing topics that are not urgent, including voter identification and pay raises.
“This short notice has prohibited any committee study, discussion or investigation, and the extended list has the potential to drag the session on for days, costing the taxpayers thousands of dollars each day,” House Speaker Billy McCoy, D-Rienzi, said in a statement.
Key House leaders were also upset that Barbour did not include hikes in weekly unemployment benefits or a bill that would have incentivized casinos that build non-gaming attractions.
Lawmakers said that if the Senate continues working for three days, the House will be forced to reconvene. It was not immediately clear if the Senate intended to continue working that long.
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