Bills Addressing Teacher Shortage, Supporting Law Enforcement Pass Senate
Brookhaven, Miss. (Daily Leader) - Several bills either authored or amended by Sen. Sally Doty, R-Brookhaven, passed the Mississippi Senate Tuesday and will now go to the House for consideration. SB 2511, authored by Education Chairman Dennis Debar Jr., addressed the critical teacher shortage in Mississippi by revising requirements for entrance into teacher education programs. Doty amended the bill on the floor to include specific language for licensure of teachers at the Mississippi School of the Arts who have advanced degrees in artistic disciplines. “With MSA’s specialized classes in the arts, their teachers have had numerous issues getting through the licensure process, even though they are overly qualified,” Doty said. “I appreciate Chairman Debar supporting my amendment." Doty authored SB 2523, [...]
COLUMN: Flood spotlights need for strategic policy thinking
Meridian, Miss. (Meridian Star) - Politicians tend to be adept at tactical political thinking. How do I win the next election? How do I get this project my financial backers want approved? How do I keep special interest groups on my side? And so on. Strategic policy thinking to solve systemic and long-term problems, well that’s another story. Effective government, however, cannot be singularly driven by tactical political thinking. Strategic policy thinking has a critical role. As state and local officials assess the decimating impact of the 2020 Pearl River flood, flood control is an appropriate example of the need for strategic policy thinking. Flood control and prevention seldom occupy public officials’ minds…until a flood happens. Of course, then, all [...]
State legislators celebrate Natchez Day Wednesday
Natchez, Miss. (Natchez Democrat) - Local officials gathered at the capitol building in Jackson on Wednesday and presented the city needs to state legislators over tables filled with Fat Mama’s Tamales and Darby’s fudge. Natchez Inc. Executive Director Chandler Russ said Natchez Inc., in conjunction with other economic development partners, was able to map out strategies to meet legislative priorities for this session during “Natchez Day at the Capitol.” The priorities Russ listed included creating a 1% food and beverage tax countywide to pay down the debt for various economic development projects, funding renovations for Margaret Martin Performing Arts Center and allowing the City of Natchez to increase the amount of money allocated to Natchez Inc. to assist downtown development [...]
Hosemann’s 16th Section Lawsuit Clears First Hurdle
Natchez, Miss. (Natchez Democrat) — Motions to dismiss a lawsuit that could bring millions of dollars to the Natchez-Adams School District and other area school districts failed in federal court Thursday. Federal Judge Elaine Kaplan denied the federal government’s efforts to dismiss a lawsuit filed in February 2019 by then Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann on behalf of students in school districts in Southwest Mississippi. Hosemann was elected Mississippi Lt. Governor in November 2019. The lawsuit filed in the United States Court of Federal Claims, contends that the federal government unconstitutionally took 8,000 acres of public school lands. The state seeks at least $25 million in damages from the federal government under the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment Takings clause which [...]
Hosemann Helps Picayune Obtain Land for New Fire Station
Picayune, Miss. (WLOX) - The city of Picayune celebrated its new fire station with a ribbon-cutting on Monday. The city leased the previous facility for many years and said it was never theirs because it was on school property. The Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi Delbert Hosemann and other officials were aware that the Picayune firefighters were leasing and outgrowing the previous building that was built about 80 years ago and needed a new facility. The long process of thinking, planning and building took about six years total. “This was tax-forfeited property and two years ago they came to me when I was secretary of state and they said ‘can you give this to the city, we want to build a [...]
Miss. Senate Teacher Pay Raise ‘A Good Start’
Jackson, Miss. (Clarion Ledger) - After hearing pleas from underpaid teachers for years, Mississippi legislators on Thursday took a first step toward giving them $1,000 raises this year and bringing starting salaries to $37,000. The Senate Education Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 2001, which would also bump starting assistant teacher salaries by $1,000, up to $15,000. The legislation — with the backing of leaders including Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann — is expected to reach the full Senate for a vote next week before heading to the House. "This is a really important step in public education," Erica Jones, president of the Mississippi Association of Educators, said Thursday. "For years we have felt that we were neglected, and that we weren't [...]