State Legislatures Wrap 2026 Sessions in Mississippi, Washington and Utah

Three U.S. state legislatures completed significant 2026 legislative sessions. Mississippi's Legislature, led by House Speaker Jason White and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, ended its regular session around April 5-6, 2026, after approving a $7.36 billion budget; lawmakers left open the possibility of returning before April 15 to address pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform, which was not resolved. Separately, Washington's Legislature passed House Bill 2242 in late February 2026, granting the state Department of Health authority to issue vaccine recommendations independent of federal guidance; the bill passed the Senate 36-12 and the House 57-39 before heading to Governor Bob Ferguson's desk. Utah's Legislature concluded its 45-day general session around March 7, 2026. In Mississippi, Democrats criticized Republicans, who hold majorities in both chambers, for not expanding Medicaid or increasing child care assistance funding. In Washington, Governor Ferguson described the bill as a response to what he called politicization of the CDC. In Utah, lawmakers introduced more than 600 bills in the House and 330 in the Senate, with reports citing either "more than 500" total bills passed or a record 1,021 bills introduced; a $31 billion budget was approved. Utah lawmakers also passed legislation expanding the Utah Supreme Court from five to seven justices and the Court of Appeals from seven to nine judges, funded three new district court judges, and created a new three-judge panel process (H.B. 392) for cases involving state agencies or officials as defendants. Governor Spencer Cox signed the court expansion bill almost immediately and indicated he did not plan to veto many other bills, with 20 days to review remaining legislation. In Mississippi, whether lawmakers will return before April 15 to negotiate PBM reform remains unresolved. In Utah, critics, including Democrats and some legal professionals, questioned the timing of the judicial expansion amid the Legislature's ongoing disputes with courts over rulings, while judicial leaders said the expansion was not needed; the Legislature also introduced a late change to an election bill affecting signature removal from a ballot initiative to repeal Proposition 4, with its final disposition unclear from available reporting. In Washington, the bill's final signature by the governor was pending as of the reporting date.