We are almost to the finish line, but we need your help on two critical issues to protect our public schools and our big win on teacher pay:
1. VOUCHERS – Privatizers are pushing to expand a voucher provision that was sneaked into a foster care bill last year. HB 1687 would allow millions of dollars in tax credits for donations to private schools, an end run that is, effectively, a voucher bill hiding in a statute intended to help children in foster care.
2. TAX CUTS – The income tax cuts that are being proposed would, at a minimum, strip hundreds of millions of dollars from state coffers, reductions that would be passed on to state agencies and school districts in the form of budget cuts. See what the tax cuts proposed by each chamber are estimated to cost your school district.
Legislators claim that they cannot afford to fully fund our public schools (which are underfunded this year by $272-million). It is unconscionable that they would intentionally reduce revenue through income tax cuts and divert millions of tax dollars to private schools while leaving public school children underfunded.
Please call your legislators with two important messages:
1. VOTE NO on HB 1687, which contains vouchers.
2. VOTE NO on any income tax cut.
Find contact information for legislators who represent your school district
Capitol Switchboard: 601.359.3770
Tell House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann that we want public schools fully funded – not tax cuts or vouchers!
Speaker Gunn: 601.359.3300
Lt. Gov. Hosemann: 601.359.3200
There is only one week left in this legislative session. These votes could come any day, so we need to act quickly to protect our public schools and the teacher pay raise.
Please give your legislators a call today and ask for NO votes on HB 1687 (vouchers) and any income tax cut. Ask your family and friends to call, too. Our teachers and children are counting on us, and together, we’ve got this!
