Education, Strategic Investments and Making Use of Resources Remain Key
Mississippi Delta representatives and senators are busy getting ready for the upcoming 2026 legislative session that begins this month. With issues ranging from agriculture to taxes, mental health, and more, each elected member has a list of concerns from their constituents they will need to put before the rest of the elected members.
Justin Pope, who was elected in December to fill the District 29 Senator seat that David Jordan retired from, has been traveling across his district listening to its residents.
“Since being elected I have been traveling to hear from the people who elected me,” says Pope. “I’m going to different supervisor meetings and going to meet with my aldermen and my councilmen to see what exactly they are looking for in the upcoming session. Who knows the area better than the ones that live in it? I know how Panola County is because that’s where I’m from. But, now I’m traveling to the other areas in my district to see what the people want.”
Senator Briggs Hopson from District 23 is looking to find help for farmers working with the federal government.
“I know they are battling high input costs combined with low commodity prices and they certainly need more relief to keep farmers from going out of business and get them prepared for the 2026 crop year,” says Hopson. “The grocery tax was lowered and the state income tax was lowered and I know there is some discussion to eliminate the implement tax for farmers.”
Senator Lydia Chassaniol of District 14 has been in office since 2008 and, for a while, was the only woman senator before Sarita Simmons was elected. Chassaniol is looking to increase communication and build more teamwork across political aisles.
“I’ve cultivated the Delta senators and we work well together because they know I care about the Delta and I’m willing to stick my neck out for things that will benefit projects and economic development,” she says.
One of her focuses will be education for all ages.
“I met with the Governor Reeves not too long ago, and we were talking about how they have used this third-grade reading threshold to improve the reading scores and Mississippi’s improved education scores,” says Chassaniol. “And I told the governor, ‘What we need to do is focus on adult literacy, because there are a lot of adults in our area who cannot read. And often they’re ashamed of it. It keeps them from being able to get qualified jobs because, let’s face it, if you can’t read, you can’t fill out a job application, can you? I worked with the dropout prevention program in Greenwood, and that was the one thing that we found out: the students who were in danger of dropping out of school couldn’t read.”
Chassaniol is also working with Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner, Burl Cain. She says she would like to see the Parchman property get back in rotation with crops, and more.
“Why do we not work on real agricultural jobs for the inmates at Parchman?” she says. “And I don’t mean here’s a hoe, go get the weeds. Teach these inmates how to repair farm equipment, how to work on the machines, and how to do more highly skilled jobs. Because agriculture is our number one economic driver in Mississippi. And the last time I checked, agriculture was centered in the Delta. Why are we not using Parchman, which is arguably the most fertile land in the state? Why are we not using that as a source of cultivating produce or teaching people how to cultivate produce that will benefit not only the restaurants, but will help with this food desert thing I keep hearing about? The reason we’re a food desert is that nobody grows a garden anymore.”
Her plan is to work with both Commissioner Cain and the Mississippi Department of Agriculture to find a way to intersect these ideas and bring them to fruition.
Senator Reginald Jackson’s district was redrawn and he won his seat again after a special election. He says he is ready to get back to the state capital and work on mental health issues.
“I’m focusing on team mental health,” says Jackson. “One of my focuses in this session is to get something passed that addresses the health issues in high school age and school age children. I submitted the bill last year, but it didn’t get out of committee, but I plan on bringing the same bill back.
His bill would require all schools to have a licensed mental health counselor on site. “And I would like to require that students see them at least once every thirty days. I know people could go on their own if they chose to, but the problem is a lot of kids don’t want to talk about things or don’t know that they should or have to, so they don’t do it unless they’re forced to,” he says.
He notes there would be a cost involved but believes the money could be found in the state budget.
“It’s just a concept right now,” says Jackson. “There’s money laying around and if we decided that we wanted to take mental health seriously, I’m sure we could find a way. I think people are becoming more aware that mental health is affecting a lot of young people, and that goes on into adulthood.”
With so many violent incidents taking place in the Delta this past year, Senator Derrick Simmons is putting part of his focus on public safety.
“Looking toward the 2026 Regular Legislative Session, I am particularly focused on legislation that supports collaborative public safety efforts across the Delta,” says Simmons. “I am working on proposals that would provide funding for partnerships among our colleges and universities, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, and local and regional law enforcement agencies to enhance security and protection during large events and gatherings at our schools. Our school campuses serve as community hubs, so we need to ensure we have adequate staffing and resources for safety.”
In looking at the Delta as a whole, Simmons has several key concerns and priorities for the area.
“One of my top priorities remains strengthening traditional public schools,” he say. “I strongly support increasing funding for public education and oppose efforts that divert limited resources away from our already underfunded public school system. Public schools are the backbone of our Delta communities, and sustained investment in facilities, teachers, support staff, and student services is not optional—it is foundational to long-term economic growth. Additionally, the Delta continues to need targeted state investment through appropriations and bonds that address long-standing disparities in infrastructure, public safety, healthcare access, and economic opportunity. Strategic investments—paired with accountability—can help level the playing field for Delta communities and position the region for sustainable growth. In short, my legislative focus remains clear: invest in people, protect our schools and communities, and ensure the Delta receives its fair share of state resources to grow and thrive.”
With an eye on keeping more money in the pockets of Delta residents, Senator Sarita Simmons acknowledges and applauds last year’s wins.
“The 2025 Legislative Session delivered meaningful progress for the Mississippi Delta and communities across the state,” she says. “The passage of House Bill 1, as amended by the Senate, delivered significant benefits to the Mississippi Delta. We took important steps to stabilize the retirement system, and protect the 13th check for current employees, retirees, and those entering the system before March 2026. With PERS being on a dangerous path, funded at only forty-seven percent, these measures were essential to protect the financial future of those individuals.”
There were other Delta-area perks on that bill as well.
“The legislation also included important investments in our local communities,” says Simmons. “State Aid funding for each county will increase every four years, helping address much needed infrastructure improvements, while municipalities now have more flexibility to use diversion use tax funds for essential public facilities. The continued phaseout of the state income tax aims to promote economic growth and job creation, and families will benefit from a reduction in the grocery tax from seven percent to five percent.”
Simmons is also looking to help with education funding and find ways for small towns to capitalize on federal grants.
“Education remains a priority, with the state fully funding the education formula at $2.97 billion, a $16 million increase over last year,” she says. “Looking ahead to the 2026 Legislative Session, I am committed to introducing a matching fund program for small municipalities with populations under 10,000. Too often, these towns miss out on federal grants simply because they cannot meet the local match requirement. This program would cover up to twenty percent of that match, giving municipalities throughout the Delta a fair chance to secure funding for projects that enhance quality of life and drive long term growth.”
One of the biggest employers in the Delta will also get special attention from her.
“Over the past two years, I’ve been actively involved in efforts to keep Parchman open, and I will continue to advocate for it because of the crucial economic role it plays in the Mississippi Delta and the impact it has on local families’ livelihoods,” she says. “My focus remains on strengthening the Mississippi Delta, supporting working families, protecting retirees, investing in education and infrastructure, and ensuring that every community, regardless of size, has an opportunity to move forward.”
Representative Tracey Rosebud knows that lessening the grocery tax was a big win for the Delta in last year’s session.
“I was one of those individuals who voted for it,” says Rosebud. “It wasn’t a very popular vote, but we went from seven cents to five cents and I’m of the mindset that any savings is better than no savings. Over a period of time, that is going to add quite a bit to people’s pockets and it also adds some financial stability. And across Bolivar, Sunflower and Tallahatchie Counties there are about 4,000 retirees and by us making sure that we gave funding to PERS last year within that same bill, it actually secured those people. We have almost 7,000 active working people within that plan and I voted to make sure those individual’s retirement system is secured.”
Rosebud also supported an increase in fuel tax last session that has raised over $200 million dollars that will go towards fixing roads.
“I have to commend Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons,” says Rosebud. “He’s been doing a great job making sure that, everywhere you look, he’s fixing roads. As well as Commissioner Caldwell in the Tallahatchie County area—they’re fixing roads, they’re fixing bridges, and that was part of that deal. Most people don’t notice until their cars are torn up, but we have to think about it constantly because, just like them, we use those roads too, and it makes good sense.”
Funding infrastructure and working across the aisle are top priorities for Representative Robert Sanders, as is bringing more tourists to the Mississippi Delta.
“First of all, let me just say the legislation we had passed last session was basically dealing with a lot of our highways,” says Sanders. “Dealing with our infrastructure and things of that magnitude is so important. I would love to see this upcoming session focus on economic development for the Mississippi Delta, which is so vital. And, continue to make sure that we stay committed to our educational system. I’m sure school choice will probably be a hot topic. But basically, what I want to continue to do is work diligently with my colleagues across the aisle. Make sure that we stay focused on our educational system that will continue to benefit the Delta. We have so much to offer, and I just want to make sure that the Delta continues to be targeted and making sure we’re receiving some adequate funding that we much need.”
Sanders notes the legislative body needs to come together and work for its constituents.