Why are legislative leaders hiding our tax dollars from us?
When the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) met today, budget leaders refused to acknowledge a substantial portion of available revenue, a move that jeopardizes a significant pay raise for our teachers.
Today’s revised revenue estimate ignores approximately $140-million of projected FY2020 revenue. This is recurring revenue that they will pretend does not exist, stick in a reserve account, and claim that it is “one-time money that cannot be used for pay raises.”
We know the truth! There is sufficient revenue available to provide a $4,000 teacher pay raise AND pay raises for all state employees.
Rank and file legislators should call on the leadership to stop the shell game, acknowledge ALL available revenue, and invest appropriately in our teachers.
Ask your legislators to INSIST on:
* a $4,000 teacher pay raise in SB 2770 *
* NO INCREASE in voucher funding in HB 1643 *
Capitol Switchboard: 601.359.3770 Additional contact info for legislators
Share the same message with:
Speaker Philip Gunn, Capitol: 601.359.3300, and Lt. Governor Tate Reeves, Capitol: 601.359.3200.
Lt. Governor Reeves admitted today that, though revenue is growing at a 4% rate, the leadership is assuming only 1.3% growth for appropriations purposes.
Folks, this is the shell game that the Legislature uses to turn recurring revenue into one-time money. They simply refuse to acknowledge a large chunk of revenue and stick it in the Rainy Day Fund, declaring it untouchable. How many times have you heard legislators say that they will provide appropriately for teachers and schools “if the money is there.” Tactics like those used today ensure that, on paper, the money is never there.
If you are sick and tired of state leaders who operate behind closed doors and use legislative tricks to deny teachers and other state employees fair salaries and our children the school funding they deserve, we have good news for you. We’ve got an election coming, and we can make some changes!
We know that many rank and file legislators share our frustration. Remind them that, when they stand up for public schools, public school supporters stand up for them. We elected them to represent us, not to do the bidding of the leadership. It’s time for us to STAND TOGETHER and get this done for our teachers and our kids!
Please make those calls to the legislators who represent your school district. Ask your friends and family to call, too. Our children and their teachers are counting on us, and together, we’ve got this!
