HB 1902, a Children’s Promise Act voucher bill to fund private schools, is dead. You reached out, and our senators delivered. It’s time to let them know how grateful we are.
Legislators take a lot of heat, and we are quick to let them know when we disapprove of a vote. It’s just as important to give them the praise they are due when they come through for public education.
We’ve had ups and downs so far this session, and this week has been no exception. While the Senate rejected efforts to increase the flow of public money to private schools, it also passed a massive tax cut, which will reduce significantly over time the state funding available to fund public schools and other state services. The House adopted the Senate plan in HB 1, but it was held on a motion to reconsider. The bill would reduce the grocery tax and, if future growth triggers are met, eliminate the state individual income tax – a dramatic reduction in state revenue. This comes at a time when state revenue already is shrinking and the nearly $2-billion in federal education funding Mississippi receives annually is in peril. It will be the responsibility of our Legislature to ensure that Mississippi has the revenue required to meet the needs of our children and our state.
HB 1 also creates a fifth tier in the PERS retirement system, which will provide significantly less in state-funded retirement benefits to teachers and other state employees who are hired after March 1, 2026. This is the Legislature’s answer to concerns about the long-term viability of the PERS system. Educators have expressed concern that the change will make recruiting and retaining teachers more difficult.
Several bills remain alive that need our attention (we’ll need your help with those next week), but there have been bright spots along the way, fueled by the relationships you’ve developed with your legislators and their commitment to the communities they were elected to serve. That’s worth celebrating! Let’s take a few days to do just that. To celebrate our public schools, the thousands of you standing in the gap for our children, and the legislators in both chambers who take your calls, hear your concerns, and cast those all-important votes to protect and strengthen public schools.
Please ask your friends and family to join you in thanking the legislators who are standing up for public schools.
Find contact information for legislators by school district.
Capitol Switchboard: 601.359.3770
(Open Mon. noon-5:00, Tues.-Thurs. 8:00-5:00, Fri. 8:00-noon)
And please give yourself a big pat on the back! The calls, texts, information, and support you have provided legislators have made and will continue to make a difference.
We have lots of work still ahead of us over the next couple of weeks – the voucher lobby is truly relentless. But public education has the facts, the overwhelming majority of Mississippians, and supportive lawmakers on its side. Together, we’ve got this!
