It has become routine for the Legislature to intentionally lowball the coming year’s revenue estimate, then claim they don’t have enough money to fully fund public schools and other state services. It’s up to you and me to make sure that trick isn’t played again this year, when we all know that Mississippi is floating in cash.
When legislators underestimate revenue, they keep our taxpayer dollars instead of using them to our benefit. Our “extra” tax dollars have been stashed in reserve accounts – which have ballooned to $4-billion – while our schools remain woefully underfunded.
The Legislative Budget Committee reported in December that there is an additional $1-billion in recurring revenue to spend this year – over and above what the Legislature budgeted in the 2022 Legislative Session, and well above what is needed to fully fund the MAEP.
Please tell your legislators and the leadership that you know the truth:
Mississippi has an extra $1-billion to spend, and we want some of it used to fully fund our public schools.
Find contact information for legislators who represent your school district
Capitol Switchboard: 601.359.3770
Speaker Philip Gunn: 601.359.3300
House Appropriations Chair John Read: 601.359.3340
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann: 601.359.3200
Senate Appropriations Chair Briggs Hopson: 601.359.3250
The Senate has voted to fully fund an adjusted MAEP, an acknowledgement that additional funding is available. We need for them to stand strong.
If the state’s revenue estimate is falsely capped, we’ll get the same story we’ve been told for years – that there isn’t enough money to fully fund public schools. But we’re onto that trick. Those old excuses will no longer fly.
The budget cap decision should be made in the next week. Please call your legislators every day and ask, “Have you fully funded our public schools yet?” We know the money is there, and we expect our legislators to use it to fully fund the MAEP.
Ask everyone you know to call today and every day until our legislators make good on their promise to our children and teachers. Your calls matter – a lot – and together, we’ve got this!
