Congratulations, SUPERHERO! Today, the Mississippi House and Senate adjourned the 2018 Regular Legislative Session sine die, closing out a session in which parents, educators, public school supporters, and legislators STOOD UP together to protect our children and their public schools. Working with our legislators, you accomplished: PASSAGE of HB 1592, the K-12 appropriation bill that provides a …
Today, the Mississippi House and Senate passed HB 1592, the K-12 funding bill that increases the overall appropriation by $12.8-million, including a $3.1-million increase for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) and $2.5-million more for pre-k. That is good news! The bill now goes to Gov. Bryant for his signature. We are told that a …
Our superheroes came through for Mississippi children again! The K-12 appropriation conference report has been filed, and the news is good. Overall, the FY2019 (2018-2019 school year) appropriation for pre-k through grade 12 is up by $12.8-million over funding for the current year. While the final agreement doesn’t include all that we asked for, it does have these …
Conferees have not come to an agreement on the K-12 funding bill, and so a “dummy” bill (a placeholder bill with all zeros) was filed to meet tonight’s 8pm deadline. A conference report with the actual numbers will be filed once an agreement is reached. The hang-up appears to be over whether or not to provide a slight …
School funding for the 2018-2019 year will be decided in the next few days; your legislators need to hear from you. We have reason to believe that there is strong support in both the House and Senate for improving funding for public schools. After all, our Senate defeated every privatization bill that came its way …
Senate Republicans break ranks to kill historic school funding overhaul by Bracey Harris, The Clarion-Ledger, 3/1/18, excerpt: As part of the deal for a new funding plan, all districts in the state would have been shielded from funding losses for the next two years. (Lt. Gov. Tate) Reeves indicated that the bill’s failure means the hold harmless …
Statements on K-12 Appropriation, Defeat of HB 957 Read More »
In February, the House of Representatives passed its version of the K-12 appropriation bill, which provided an increase of $8.2-million over current-year funding for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP). Two weeks later, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves implied that the appropriation for public schools likely would be reduced, seemingly in retaliation for the defeat of HB 957, …
Will MAEP funds be cut in retaliation for defeat of school funding rewrite? Read More »
Legislators in both parties are speculating that the leadership will hold the appropriations, transportation, and bond bills in conference and use them as leverage to flip enough votes to pass HB 957, threatening to kill important projects in districts of legislators who don’t agree to support this dreadful bill and offering sweetheart deals to those …
Threats, Coercion, and the School Funding Rewrite Read More »
Word at the Capitol is that there is a move afoot to resurrect HB 957 and pass it in a special session. Sources tell us that Lt. Gov. Reeves is applying tremendous pressure to senators in an effort to flip the votes of our “HERO” legislators who voted to kill the bill. Legislative leaders apparently are so …
Will Leadership Resurrect HB 957, Overrule Voters? Read More »
WOW! Your State Senate came through for Mississippi children in a big way today! House Bill 957 is dead. During debate, Sen. Hob Bryan made a motion to recommit the bill to committee, essentially a motion to kill the bill since the committee deadline had already passed. The motion prevailed on a vote of 27-21. Please BE SURE …
