MS Legislature

The 2017 Legislative Session is in the books; the House and Senate finished their work and adjourned sine die this afternoon! Notably, a majority of legislators stood with public school supporters and defeated all voucher bills that would have sent public money to private academies, including the voucher language the Senate had added to HB 1046. That voucher […]

What a day! Hundreds of Mississippi parents, students, and educators crowded into the Capitol today to rally in support of public schools. Congratulations to rally organizers – and thank you – for a fantastic event! And kudos to all those who took time from your spring break vacation to travel to Jackson to stand up for

Tomorrow is RALLY DAY! We hope you will come. This rally is a chance to make it crystal clear to our Legislature that public education is our #1 priority and that the way it is funded can make or break our children’s future. Get more information here. Drivers, please drop off passengers on the south side of the Capitol (Mississippi

You folks have been terrific! A big thank you to all who have called, texted, and emailed about Thursday’s education funding rally. It is shaping up to be a great day! Some important points: This is not a “Parents’ Campaign rally.” The credit for this event goes to a wonderful group of public school supporters,

The Senate passed HB 1046, the voucher bill, this evening on a vote of 30-19. See your senator’s vote here. The bill was amended to include a reverse repealer, which means the bill will go to conference. Senators were told that this bill is not a voucher bill. That, of course, is false. Any bill that sends public, taxpayer funds

No matter how many times you’ve already called your senator about HB 1046, please call again! The Senate has adjourned for the weekend without taking the bill up for a vote. They will reconvene on Monday at 4 p.m.; midnight Wednesday is the deadline for action on this bill. A committee amendment turned HB 1046 into

HB 1046 has passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and is headed to the floor. A strike-all amendment has turned the bill into a dangerous voucher bill that threatens local school district funding and sends Mississippi tax dollars out of state to unaccountable private schools. See the amended version here. The biggest problem? This bill creates private school vouchers, which Cambridge Dictionary defines as scholarships

A Senate strike-all amendment could make HB 1046 the most alarming bill we’ve seen this year. Here’s why: • Drains school budgets – takes MAEP money away from your school’s already under-funded allocation and sends it to private academies.  • State budget buster – allows unlimited vouchers for private school tuition; if 10% of Mississippi students requested a voucher, the cost to

The Senate Education Committee has amended a dyslexia bill to insert voucher language similar to what you helped kill on the House side. The Senate version of HB 1046 would potentially allow thousands of students to take MAEP dollars to private schools – including schools in any other state, which could divert millions of dollars away from public schools and

Three cheers for the Mississippi Legislature – all voucher bills are DEAD! Due to lack of support, the bills never came up for a vote. Please thank the legislators who stood with parents and educators to kill privatization bills that would have harmed public schools. Find contact information for legislators in your school district. Capitol Switchboard: 601.359.3770