The House passed HB 1671 without eliminating the tax credits that benefit private schools, though the increase in private school funding that had been added to the bill was removed. HB 1671 includes the Children’s Promise Act – the law that was supposed to encourage donations to organizations that serve children in foster care but, instead, diverted …
The Mississippi Constitution is clear: taxpayer dollars may not be appropriated for private schools. The authors of the State Constitution understood that strong public schools are unique in their contribution to the wellbeing of our communities and our state – and that the greatest threat to this vital common good is the siphoning of public funds …
Mississippi Constitution: No Public Funds for Private Schools Read More »
Yesterday, Judge Crystal Wise Martin heard arguments in a lawsuit challenging the Mississippi Legislature’s appropriation of $10-million to private schools through an infrastructure grant program. A ruling in the lawsuit, brought by Parents for Public Schools, can be expected “sooner rather than later,” according to Judge Martin. The Mississippi Constitution prohibits any appropriation of public funds …
Lawsuit Challenges Public Funds Going to Private Schools Read More »
We’ve got two very important pieces of information to share on which you might want to take action. School board seats in 80 school districts will be on the ballot this fall. School boards play an extremely important role in determining the quality of education provided our children, so please pay close attention to these elections. …
Gov. Reeves has signed HB 530, the teacher pay raise bill, which makes it official! The salaries of certified teachers will increase by an average of $5,140 and teacher assistants will get a $2,000 pay raise, effective July 1. This is well-deserved good news for our hard-working teachers and assistants! Unfortunately, that’s all the good news …
This morning, we have discovered vouchers hidden in a conference report for an unrelated bill. Worse, the changes in statute are NOT underlined, something that is required to alert legislators to changes in law that are being proposed. HB 1685, a pregnancy resources bill, includes a $2-million increase in an already large tax credit/voucher program, the true …
Vouchers Hidden in Conference Report – Need Calls! Read More »
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 …
Progress! This afternoon, Senate Education Chairman Dennis DeBar announced a conference committee meeting on HB 530, the teacher pay raise bill, in Room 216 of the Capitol at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. That is good news! You can watch the livestream here. In other sort-of-good news, you came very, very close to killing HB 1687, the voucher bill …
The Senate Finance Committee passed amended versions of two dangerous bills that will go to the full Senate for floor votes tomorrow. HB 531, the income tax cut bill, would slash $439-million from the state budget every year when fully phased in. HB 1687 would allow millions of dollars in tax credits for donations to …
Today, the House Education Committee passed two dangerous bills. We need your help to defeat them. HB 795 is a voucher bill that uses state funds for non-public school students to attend a virtual school with no accountability. This is what the Legislature banned in 2020 when tightening up the ESA voucher statute in response to numerous abuses …
