Senate passes wide range of bills from design-build authority to tourism department; key measures approved by roll call

The Mississippi Senate approved a package of bills during a long floor session that covered infrastructure procurement, election procedures, tourism administration, cybersecurity liability, medical cannabis rules and other topics.

Senators adopted multiple committee substitutes and final passages by the use of the morning roll call, producing immediate outcomes across numerous subjects. Measures approved during the session included a design-build authority bill, a change in early-voting rules, creation of a standalone Department of Tourism, a cybersecurity liability framework for covered entities, and technical revisions to the state medical cannabis program.

Why it matters: Several of the approved measures change how state business gets done — from how large construction projects can be procured, to how voters can cast ballots before Election Day, to how the state markets itself to visitors. The cybersecurity and medical-cannabis changes carry regulatory impacts for private companies…