The Mississippi Legislature has adjourned its session until at least April 1.
State Rep. Ken Morgan, R-Morgantown, said the session was adjourned subject to call, which means they could get called back at any moment but he felt like it would be at least a couple of weeks.
Morgan said they had to adjourn when the recommendation of gatherings was reduced to no more than 10 people. “We have 122 people in session, and we sit right beside each other,” he said.
Before the session was adjourned, the House passed HB 1647, which will allow state, county and school employees to receive pay while not being able to work due to the coronavirus.
Morgan said all of the precautions may not make sense to people in a rural area but when looking at larger and more dense populations, it becomes much clearer as to why all of the extra precautions are being made.
“This is going to take a strain on us, but we just thank God to have foresight enough to have a good strong rainy day fund. If we have to go into it, we do have it to use. All they would have to do call us back up there for a meeting to give the governor the authority to do that,” he said.
Financially he said he is very thankful for the shape the state is in. “I feel like we can possibly overcome it” he said.
Morgan acknowledged that small businesses are going to be hurt during this time. Employees are out of jobs, and this can cause a recession he said.
On the other hand, he said, the people over at Steel Bayou and the Delta flood plains along the Mississippi River have been flooded for four months just like it was last year. Morgan said the farmers there haven’t been able to plant crops for two years.
He also said while the session is adjourned the legislators do not receive pay. They receive a total of three checks per session and have already received two but will not receive the third one until they are back in session.
It is going to take everyone keeping their wits right now, he said. Morgan told his Sunday School class it is like any other virus: It will have to run its course. He said everyone just needs to pray it does so sooner rather than later.
