Today, the Senate passed HB 1944, the Children’s Promise Act bill, moving forward the version of the bill passed in committee yesterday. The bill as it passed the Senate keeps in place the $18-million in tax credits currently split between foster care organizations and private schools ($9-million to each of those sectors) and adds another $6-million in tax credits for nonpublic special purpose schools that serve only students with some special need or learning disability.
During floor debate, Sen. David Blount offered an amendment that would have redirected the current private school tax credits to the special purpose schools, allocating a full $9-million to the special schools while saving the state the additional $6-million in new tax credits. The Blount amendment would have protected public schools from the decline in state revenue that triggers reduced school district formula funding, freed up state funds for a desperately needed $5,000 teacher pay raise, and increased funding for children with special needs. See which senators voted against this amendment, which narrowly failed on a 24 to 26 vote.
Because the bill includes a reverse repealer, it now will go to conference, a hotbed of shenanigans in years past.
Chairman Daniel Sparks, who handled HB 1944 in today’s floor debate, said that, when the bill goes to conference, he will welcome further discussions regarding the change called for in the Blount amendment.
Ask all legislators to:
Insist on a conference report that redirects Children’s Promise Act private school tax credits to special purpose schools or VOTE NO on HB 1944
and
Insist on a minimum $5,000 teacher pay raise and an assistant teacher pay raise this year
Find contact information for legislators
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann: 601.359.3200
House Speaker Jason White: 601.359.3300
Capitol Switchboard: 601.359.3770
Chairman Sparks acknowledged in today’s debate that a dollar tax credit has the very same impact as a dollar appropriation by the state. Public school supporters are understandably frustrated that senators suggested last week that Mississippi cannot afford a $5,000 pay raise this year for the amazing public school teachers who’ve worked a “miracle” for our state, then voted today to send millions more in state dollars to nonpublic schools.
Please remind your legislators that their constitutional obligation is to public schools and public school teachers, not to unaccountable private schools. They need to know that you will not forget votes that deny public school teachers a competitive salary while sending state dollars to private schools.
Remember the impact your calls made on the HB 2 vote? You can do that again! Let’s defeat more state funding for unaccountable private schools and get our teachers the $5,000 pay raise they deserve!
Legislators have less than two weeks to file conference reports on these bills. Please call your legislators every day until then. Ask your friends and family to call, too, which will double or triple your impact. Invite others to join our effort. And remember these votes on Election Day 2027! Together, we’ve got this.
