JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The 2024 Legislative session will wrap up this weekend.

During this session, Mississippi lawmakers adopted a new public education funding formula, passed a measure that aims to stabilize the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) of Mississippi, and nearly expanded Medicaid for working Mississippians.

The main focus is on Medicaid expansion and the collapsed negotiations. The question now is, what is possible next year when it comes to expansion?

Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R-Miss.) offered his end of session analysis on Friday. He defended the Senate’s position of a hard work requirement and is still hinging on a Donald Trump victory in November to receive federal approval of the work requirement.

Hosemann plans to have the Medicaid expansion issue taken up again next year.

“I campaigned on Medicaid on having a working requirement. We have a 53% labor participation rate in Mississippi, so we needed to have a position in that we encouraged people to work. I thought we were very close. Individuals who were working between one and 100% of the federal poverty level, we had coverage for them. Some people said, ‘Well, you know, they’re not going to approve this under the Biden Administration.’ Well, right now, if you look at the polls, there’s going to be another administration, President Trump. And he approved 13 different work requirements. This work requirement is not either naïve nor unsustainable. We had it. We had the opportunity to do that, and we didn’t. It’s spring. We’re going to pour more water on it. We’re coming back next year,” Hosemann said.

Both House and Senate leaders have said they missed an opportunity this year, but they see the fact that negotiations even this far as a victory.