The Origin and Evolution of Mississippi’s Budget Process and Control over It

Abstract

This chapter discusses Mississippi’s historic budget process and constitutional power structure. It discusses the powers given to the separate branches of government by Mississippi’s four constitutions (1817, 1832, 1868, and 1890). It shows how Mississippi’s current 1890 Constitution provided more legislative budget authority rather than executive budget authority. Chapter one shows how executive authority was weakened even more when the Budget Commission was replaced by the legislatively dominated commission of Budget and Accounting.