Mississippi agencies request large FY2028 spending increases, Medicaid seeks $179 million

Agency heads presented requests for increased Fiscal Year 2028 spending to Mississippi’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee, including large increases for Medicaid and higher education.

According to the Magnolia Tribune, committee members heard budget requests that included: $2.5 million for the Office of Workforce Development; $52 million for Child Protective Services; $10 million for the Department of Mental Health; $30 million for the Department of Public Safety; $35 million for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency; $179 million for the Division of Medicaid; and $93 million for the Institutions of Higher Learning.

The Magnolia Tribune also reported that the Department of Health requested level funding at $90 million and the Department of Finance and Administration requested level funding at $102 million.

The joint committee is scheduled to reconvene on November 4 to review the Legislative Budget Recommendation and adopt a Fiscal Year 2028 revenue estimate, the Magnolia Tribune reported. Lawmakers previously set the total revenue estimate for Fiscal Year 2027 at $7,532,400,000, and the first two months of revenue in the current fiscal year came in $71.7 million above estimates. The committee will meet again on December 9 to adopt its recommendation ahead of the 2027 legislative session, which begins in January.

Source: Magnolia Tribune