Legislators call Session “Difficult

Difficult and frustrating, in two words that’s how Coast lawmakers summed up the 2016 legislative session to a group of Coast business leaders at this morning’s post-legislative briefing at the Golden Nugget.
Difficult because entering the session, they expected demanding topics to be an issue such as transportation, infrastructure and education. As the session moved on, the most talked about bill that passed turned out to be House Bill 1523 which received a lot of backlash.
They say the frustrating part of the session was how contentious the relationship turned out to be between Democrats and Republicans. On multiple occasions, filibustering moves in both chambers delayed progress.
Both Democrats and Republicans at this morning’s briefing told News 25 they are hopeful for a better relationship with each other moving forward. Democratic State Representative Sonya Williams-Barnes said, “I hope that it gets better. I know that the legislators here on the Gulf Coast, our delegation, really work well together. At times, we have good relationships between Democrats and Republicans there in Jackson and so I just keep pushing and reaching across the aisles and hoping we do what’s best for all Mississippians.”