State Legislatures Wrap 2026 Sessions with Budget, Tax, and Policy Actions

In 2026, several state legislatures completed their sessions with notable budget and policy outcomes. West Virginia's 60-day legislative session ended March 14, 2026, sending 303 bills to Governor Patrick Morrisey, including a measure allowing individuals 18 and older to carry concealed weapons without a permit. Mississippi's legislature concluded its session by April 2026, with House Speaker Jason White's omnibus school choice package—which would have directed public funds to private and charter schools—rejected by a Senate committee in a vote lasting less than two minutes. In West Virginia, Governor Morrisey signed the Fiscal Year 2027 budget with some line-item vetoes, allocating $276 million for the Hope Scholarship program and $125 million for road improvements. While Morrisey had requested a 10% income tax cut, the enacted budget included a 5% reduction along with a 3% pay raise for state employees. In Mississippi, lawmakers did not pass the broader school choice proposal but approved an increase in tax credits for donations to private schools, the only school choice-related measure to reach the governor's desk. Separately, Illinois lawmakers passed House Bill 4537, updating county procedures for recovering delinquent property taxes to align with the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Tyler v. Hennepin County, and House Bill 5511, the Children's Online Social Media Safety Act, which will require online platforms to verify users' ages beginning in 2028 and impose phone bans in elementary and middle schools starting in the 2027-2028 school year. All measures described have been enacted or signed, according to available reporting, though implementation timelines vary by state and provision. West Virginia's income tax cut fell short of the governor's original 10% target, resulting in a smaller 5% reduction incorporated into the budget. Mississippi's failure to pass the omnibus school choice package leaves broader private school funding expansion unresolved for future sessions. Details on enforcement mechanisms for Illinois's age verification and cellphone ban laws, as well as any legal challenges to these measures, are not addressed in current reporting.