The veto pen stands as one of the most formidable instruments of the Mississippi Legislature, a tool that Governor Tate Reeves has employed frequently throughout his tenure. This year, his vetoes have predominantly targeted public health bills, with further rejections anticipated.
Legislative Authority
Governor Reeves has three options for handling bills that pass both chambers: he can sign them into law, allow them to become law without his signature, or veto them entirely or partially, postponing them to a future legislative session. As of April 8, he has vetoed four bills, which is half the amount he rejected in the previous two sessions. However, he continues to assess legislation and may reject additional proposals in the upcoming days.
Medical Marijuana Bills
Among his vetoes, Reeves has outright rejected both medical marijuana bills that advanced through the Legislature this session. These proposals faced significant challenges before reaching his desk. One bill, known as the “Right to Try Medical Cannabis Act,” aimed to expand access to medical marijuana for individuals suffering from debilitating conditions beyond the current legal scope.
Mississippi law recognizes around two dozen qualifying conditions for medical marijuana use. However, health professionals, including State Health Officer Daniel Edney, argued that many other conditions could benefit from such treatments. The proposed legislation would have enabled patients, with their doctors’ endorsement, to apply for limited treatment options.
Reeves acknowledged the bill’s commendable goal but noted a critical amendment made in the Senate that extended eligibility to “every person on the planet,” allowing non-residents, including those from states where medical marijuana is illegal, to access treatments in Mississippi. He expressed concerns about this provision disrupting the balance of the current regulatory framework and risking the potential for recreational use.
Although Reeves generally supported the bill, he stated he would be willing to sign it if it were reintroduced with the original, narrower provisions intact. The second bill faced its own tumultuous journey, initially proposing to ease restrictions on the state’s medical cannabis program. However, after legislative pushback, many of its provisions were rolled back before it arrived at the governor’s desk, where it ultimately faced rejection.
Reeves asserted that the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act has been largely successful, contending that there is currently no necessity for revisions.
Disaster Loan Program
Reeves’ initial veto this session targeted a disaster loan program aimed at aiding cities and counties in recovery from a severe winter storm earlier in the year. In his veto letter, he criticized the state Senate leadership for previously canceling a school choice initiative and signaled dissatisfaction with the handling of the loan program.
The proposal would have allowed the state to provide loans to municipalities, which, upon repayment, would further fund other municipalities, thereby multiplying the impact. Reeves highlighted a disagreement over interest rates, noting that while he had reached a compromise for a 1% monthly interest rate on loans, legislators subsequently changed it, leading to his veto.
He characterized the changes as potentially unconstitutional and called into question the integrity of other laws he had signed this session. Despite this, legislators introduced a revised loan program with a now-3% annual interest rate, which Reeves signed on April 6.
Future Vetoes
Given past patterns, it is likely that Reeves will continue to weigh additional vetoes in the coming days. He has a five-day window to reject or sign bills upon receiving them, influencing their eventual enactment. Some of the provisions he has vetoed in previous sessions, such as a government efficiency bill and a grant for LeFleur’s Bluff State Park, are reintroduced this session with modified language that may improve their chances of approval.