Branches of Government

Executive Branch
The Governor is the chief executive charged with the general administration of the state. In this capacity, the Governor sees that laws are faithfully executed, acts as commander in chief of the Mississippi National Guard, and appoints administrative agency heads and other officials as pre-scribed by law.

The Governor is responsible for the presentation of a balanced budget to the Legislature and signs or vetoes bills passed by the Legislature. The Governor may call extraordinary sessions of the Legislature and issue pardons, executive orders, and extraditions of fugitives from other states.

Haley Reeves Barbour Governor

Lt. Governor Amy Tuck

- Mississippi has 7 electoral votes

- Mississippi has 2 United States Senators: Thad Cochran, Republican and Trent Lott, Republican.

Legislative Branch

The Legislature is the lawmaking body of state government. The Legislature is comprised of the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are 52 Senators and 122 Representatives.

Representatives serve four-year terms and must be at least twenty-one years old. Representatives must be residents of the state for four years and of their counties for two years. Senators serve four- year terms. Senators must be at least twenty-five years old, residents of the state for four years, and residents of their districts for two years.

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives is the Speaker of the House. The presiding officer of the Senate is the Lieutenant Governor.

During each session, the Legislature can be expected to send more than 500 bills to the Governor to be signed. The Legislature meets for 90 days each year and 125 days every four years.

Judicial Branch

The judicial branch serves as a check to the powers of the executive and legislative branches through the constitutional power of judicial review. The courts rule on the legality of executive policies and the constitutionality of laws passed by the Legislature.

The judicial power of the state is vested in the Supreme Court and other courts such as the Court of Appeals, the Chancery and Circuit Courts, and the county Courts.