A panel in the Mississippi Senate on Tuesday took up and shot down the House’s sweeping education package, one centered on school choice and including a multitude of education reforms within.
The Senate Education Committee voted unanimously against House Bill 2, a package led by Republican Speaker Jason White that got just enough support in its originating chamber to advance to the other side of the capitol. A cornerstone of what White named the “Mississippi Education Freedom Act” was setting up education savings accounts, where parents could have access to up to or around $7,000 to be used on private-school tuition.
During the House vote last month, 17 Republicans joined all Democrats in voting against it, but with a GOP supermajority, it passed on a narrow 61-59 tally. The Senate committee’s vote against it prevents HB 2 from going to the full floor, where it was destined to be voted against by some Republicans and all Democrats.
“Today’s vote shows what we can accomplish when we stand together for Mississippi’s children against well-funded special interests,” said Mississippi Democratic Chairman Cheikh Taylor, who also holds a seat in the House. “Our public schools are the cornerstone of every community in this state, and this unanimous rejection sends a clear message: Mississippi will not abandon the students and families who depend on quality public education – no matter how much out-of-state money tries to buy our legislators.”
While HB 2 is dead unless revived through another piece of legislation or a special session is called after the regular session by Gov. Tate Reeves – a vocal proponent of expanded school choice – parts of it have seen Senate approval through other bills. For example, the Senate passed a measure earlier in the session to streamline the process for students who want to transfer to another public school. That bill would remove the veto power from the home district and leave transfers up to only the receiving district.
HB 2 would have made it easier for retired teachers to return to the classroom without jeopardizing pension benefits, a measure the Senate passed in its own bill, as well.
HB 2 would have also raised the minimum base salary for assistant teachers from $17,000 to $20,000. The Senate passed a bill to raise the base salary for assistant teachers to $19,000 while also giving teachers and professors a $2,000 pay bump.
The Senate Education Committee, chaired by Republican Sen. Dennis DeBar, was expected to kill off HB 2 largely on the basis of public money being available for private-school tuition. DeBar has consistently argued the idea goes against the state constitution.
“Section 208 of our Mississippi Constitution says no public funds shall be appropriated to non-public schools,” DeBar said last month. “So, what I think the House has done is they’ve put the cart before the horse. I think we need to clarify the constitutional issue on that, because if we pass vouchers this year, you know, there are going to be lawsuits.”
The Mississippi Constitution reads that public funds cannot be “appropriated toward the support of any sectarian school, or to any school that at the time of receiving such appropriation is not conducted as a free school,” something Speaker White reads differently than DeBar. White argues that HB 2 would not send money directly to private schools, rather it would open the door for taxpayers to use at private schools.
After the Senate Education Committee’s vote, White released a lengthy statement on social media, calling it “premature and performative.”
“Instead of engaging in meaningful work to build Mississippi’s educational gains, the Senate has chosen the route to shut down any productive pathway to put students before systems. To avoid conversation, debate, or thorough evaluation is a disservice to parents, students, and future generations,” White said, adding that he and other House Republicans will not be deterred in their fight for expanded school choice.
