Evans Talks With Us in Detail About His Decision To Step Down From House Committee

JACKSON, Miss. -- Rep Bob Evans (D-Monticello) is no longer Vice Chairman of the House Workforce Development Committee.

 

The Democrat personally delivered his letter of resignation to House Speaker Phillip Gunn (R-Clinton) last week.  “I didn’t ask him to accept it; I told him,” said Evans.

He explained that his decision was no knee-jerk reaction. “Things have been happening during the whole session that certainly have been bothering me.”

Among them, “the Republican leadership and their members greatly cut back on workers compensation protection.”  And then Evans said there was the treatment of Rep. Donnie Bell of Fulton who ran for office as a Democrat, but switch to the Republican Party days after his election.  “The speaker rewarded him with a committee chairmanship.”

But the straw that broke the camel's back for Evans, “Firing Rep. (Linda) Whittington (D-Schlater) from the House Education Committee to help him (Gunn) self-assure that he can get a charter school bill out of the committee this year.”

Evans said while he can’t stop what’s happing in house chambers, he is hopeful his resgination sheds on light on the situation.