The last several months have thrust the state of Mississippi into a robust debate filled with ad hominem attacks on either side of the issue. Unfortunately, what is lost in each of these assaults is the truth. In my time studying and researching this potential amendment to the Mississippi Constitution, I have become convinced that Initiative 42 is not about funding schools, or bettering Mississippi students. It is about an attempt at a political power grab by the Democratic Party of Mississippi, and they are shamelessly masking this endeavor behind our state’s most precious asset—our children.
What disturbs me the most about Initiative 42, and its backers is that they want you to trust in the potential outcomes while disregarding the inevitable negative consequences. That, I simply cannot do. When this initiative was first championed by my friends on the left, they fail to mention the mechanism by which it would be enforced. If Initiative 42 passes, the legislature will be constitutionally mandated to provide the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) with whatever it is they may ask for without regard for the other fiscal responsibilities or crises that the legislature may face. All that being considered, the most pressing of issues is this: If the legislature fails to meet the demands of MAEP to “fully fund” education, there will be lawsuits. According to Initiative 42, the judicial decision will be left with a Chancery Court judge in Hinds County, Mississippi. This judge, who could potentially make decisions regarding redistribution of wealth, district consolidation and the like will be a public official elected by one of the 82 counties in this state. This rips education policy out of the hands of the legislatures that you elected to serve you in Jackson. Why would the bill be written this way? Because the Democratic Party is convinced that if there is anywhere in Mississippi where one might find a liberal judge, it is Hinds County.
As Mississippi State Students, you should be even more concerned. The MAEP does not account for Mississippi’s funding of Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL.) Currently, MAEP represents 53.8 percent of our state’s budget. It stands to reason that if MAEP gets a larger slice of the proverbial pie, other areas will suffer. Those areas, I surmise, will be Mississippi’s colleges and universities. Dr. Keenum voiced his concerns of a projected 7.8 percent in the IHL budget, which he expects will cost the university approximately 200 jobs during a WCBI interview earlier this month. Dr. Keenum put it simply saying, “That’s not right; that’s not fair, because that would put an unfair burden on our universities.”
Education is important to me, but more importantly, it is important to the leadership of this state. I pray that we use all resources available to ensure a quality education for the children of this state. However, we are currently spending more on education then we ever have in Mississippi, and in the last term, under conservative leadership, Mississippi teachers saw their first raise in several years. Unfortunately, our rankings in education have not followed our spending habits. I have often remarked that is there was a definitive dollar amount that would undoubtedly solve Mississippi’s education problem, I would write a check tomorrow. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that more money is not going to solve our problem, nor is siphoning money away from our public colleges and universities.
On Tuesday, you have a simple choice to make. Will you fall for the desperate attempt of one of our state’s parties to take the power of education from your hands, and place into their own? Or will you stand up for yourself, your universityand your posterity? I hope you will join me in the later, and vote No on Initiative 42.
by: Gavin King
