In basketball, if I saw a final score of 66-54 I'd have to at least think it was a competitive game. Even if I didn't see the game, I'd have to assume a good enough fight was put up to think that if the same two teams faced off again the game could go the other way. On Wednesday during the debate and vote on House Bill 957, the spirited exchange from the dissenters did not produce a victory, but it was enough to get the attention of folks like you. Now, it's time for you to act!!! 

Please email or call your Mississippi State Senators via [email protected] and let them know how you feel about this bill. Please tell them you don't want this piece of legislation because it does not support education for ALL of Mississippi's 490,000 public school students; Particularly, it disproportionately hurts some rural areas like House District 29 (Sunflower and Bolivar Counties).

After a floor debate that spanned four hours, the bill passed by a vote of 66 to 54.  It was the sole piece of legislation discussed on the House floor this week. House Bill 957 aims to overhaul the current Mississippi Adequate Education Formula and replace it with the Mississippi Uniform Per Student Funding Formula. The bill, loosely based on recommendations from the consulting group EdBuild, would base school funding on student enrollment rather than teacher units. It sets the base student cost at $4,800 per student with additional weights added for students with individual needs, such as special education, gifted, low income and English language learners. The weight of sparseness (rurality) was included but I found it to be far from fair as it didn't provide for equitable division of dollars to some of the state's most disadvantaged students.

Supporters of the bill say it provides an easier way to predict how much funding a school will receive and ensures fairness across school districts. They also say it will gradually increase the overall investment in education by an estimated $107 million once the formula is fully established. Opponents of the bill expressed concerns about how the state would be able to finance the new formula. Also, some questioned why the bill made no provisions to recalculate for future inflation.

***Important: Both the Mississippi Association of Educators and the Mississippi Parents Campaign both oppose this education bill that came through the Appropriations Committee. 

***Upcoming Legislation to Watch: House Bill 1339 is expected to come up in the Education committee for a vote. It would offer  universal vouchers which would widen the eligibility of the state's education scholarship account program. Please Click Here to read the Clarion Ledger's recent article on the topic.

I agree with my Bolivar County colleague Senator Willie Simmons that we should raise the fuel tax from 18 cents to 24 cents. We must do something now to improve our roads and bridges in the state of Mississippi. Also, this is the one way we can all share in the success of Mississippi. According to the National Association of State Budget Officers ( https://www.nasbo.org), the gas tax has been raised in 26 states since 2013. We have not voted on this initiative yet; However, I think Mississippians should express how they feel on this issue. Do you think gas taxes should be increased: YES or NO? I look forward to getting your emails about this issue at [email protected].

I know it is has been a bad week for education in Mississippi (as House Bill 957 passed from the House to the Senate). However, there is some good news I want to share. We cannot merely focus on the divisive issues and expect to solve our problems. Republicans, Democrats, Liberals, and Conservatives can celebrate this victory. What is it?

According to the Superintendent's Annual Report, the number of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) in Mississippi rose to 3,886 committed individuals in 2016, with 37 additional Teachers achieving NBCT status. The highest mark of accomplishment in the profession!!! National Board Certification demonstrates that a teacher has attained the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare students for 21st century success. The state of Mississippi provides significant support for teachers seeking Board certification. Mississippi's Board certified teachers receive an annual stipend of $6,000. Under the newly revised National Board Certification process, 1,400 Mississippi teachers are pursuing certification. New NBCT figures will be released in 2018.

Tourism: Visitors Are Coming

According to Mississippi Development Authority, approximately 700,000 people visited Mississippi in 2016. Tourism generated revenue is up in both Bolivar and Sunflower County. Bolivar is up $5.25 million from $43,737,304 in fiscal 2015 to $48,981,351 in fiscal year 2016. Sunflower is up $512,216 from $14,017,398 in fiscal 2015 to $14,529,614 in fiscal year 2016. "In Mississippi, we are very well organized," explained Glenn McCullough (MDA Executive) in the January 2018 edition of the Delta Business Journal. In the Mississippi Delta, we are ready to share our Native American Culture, Civil Rights and Civil War History, Culinary Treats, and Musical Lineage. If you are an entrepreneur, please prepare for guest as more and more people are being fascinated by our past, present, and future way of life.