Mississippi State University’s Speech and Debate Club hosted State Debates Tuesday in Lee Hall’s Bettersworth Auditorium. The debate centered on pressing topics in the upcoming midterm elections. The College Republicans, College Democrats and the Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) were all present to argue their points and solutions to contemporary issues.
Before the debate began, Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill gave a short introductory speech urging attendants to vote in the upcoming elections, letting their voices be heard. Additionally, Spruill emphasized the importance of political dialogue in the current climate of misinformation.
After Spruill’s speech, the debate’s moderator Jeffery Rupp, the former mayor of Columbus and current director of outreach for MSU’s College of Business, took the stage and outlined the four points the debate would cover and the procedure of the debate.
The first topic was trade policy, specifically whether a trade war with China is beneficial. YAL’s platform, debated by Mitch Strider, was about how economic protectionism has been and always will be a disaster, and free trade is a more effective economic policy. Oppositely, the College Republicans’ platform, debated by Semaj Redd, was focused on how the trade deficits created by China’s trade policy and their continued currency manipulation is hurting American business, so tariffs are a necessary negotiation tool to seek American business. College Democrats’ Christian Donaho advocated, like YAL, against tariffs and implored America to seek fair trade terms incentivizing American businesses to stay here, rather than moving overseas.
The second topic focused on improvements to K-12 education at the state and local level. Johnathan Bailey of the Republicans argued the education system needs to shift its focus to charter schools to offer more choices in education, likening public education to a money pit. College Democrats’ Emily Tingle asserted public education requires more funding to be successful, and public education needs to address the inequity caused by funding being appropriated by property tax, causing richer districts to have richer schools. The YAL’s Colby Williamson maintained a similar stance as the Republicans, arguing for more school choices, more parental control in the matter and less exorbitant budgets.
The third topic addressed the multitudes of issues Mississippi is facing, such as education, infrastructure and a lack of business investments. Georgie Swan of the Democrats outlined her organization’s solution on fixing Mississippi’s infrastructure.
“Currently, 500 bridges across the state are closed,” Swan said. “These closed bridges mean that residents have to drive an additional 40 to 50 miles to get to town, to work, to school and even to gas. This can lead to dangerous situations when there is an emergency at home, and it takes much longer for help to arrive. Lots of roads are also underdeveloped and unsafe to drive on. In order to fix these problems, the state should raise the gas tax.”
Swan also explained the current gas tax has not been updated since 1993, which means the tax has not accounted for the 108 percent inflation experienced since then. She said if the roads were to be invested in, businesses would be more likely to invest in Mississippi, as they no longer need to compensate for its lacking infrastructure.
Stephen Lusk of YAL focused on different aspects of needed improvement.
“Our state is currently at a nexus point in its history,” Lusk said. “Bad fiscal policy has resulted in an immediate budget crisis that threatens the lives of millions of Mississippians. Our justice system seems more willing to incarcerate than it does to rehabilitate, and many of us choose to ignore our state’s past, in favor of intolerance and legislation that dictates morality.”
Lusk advocated for a more lenient stance on non-violent crime and more fiscal responsibility in the state government. In addition, Lusk pointed to recent criminal justice reforms reducing incarceration by 10 percent, leading to a savings of $266 million for the state.
Johnathan Bailey returned for the Republicans for the third topic and argued the solution should center on fiscal responsibility, inviting reliable businesses and a reduction in welfare.
“We, for the last 20, 30, 40, even 50 years, all we’ve done is say, ‘Well, you guys (those in the Mississippi Delta) should try farming. That seemed to work,’ And it doesn’t,” Bailey said. ”Instead, we need to do what Madison, the coast and Tupelo are doing, and bring in businesses.”
Bailey maintained the issue is Mississippi’s previously disastrous investments in shaky businesses, rather than invested in respectable and trustworthy corporations. Additionally, Bailey asserted welfare is leading people to rely on the government’s handouts, instead of their own work.
The final round of the debate consisted of audience questions, which were taken from a suggestion jar at the front of the auditorium. The first question was on the viability of gun control in the U.S.
The second question was focused on whether Citizens United, a landmark Supreme Court case giving corporations the same donating freedoms as individuals, should be abolished. Finally, the third question was the different organizations’ opinions on the Trump administration’s redefinition of sex to exclude transgender individuals, as it relates to Title XI.
Some highlights from this final section include the following: William Bonduris of the College Democrats advocating for a return to public funding for elections, instead of the current system of Citizens United; Adam Sabes of the College Republicans insisting the solution to common sense gun control is to enforce pre-existing laws; Sam Miller of the YAL reasoning Citizens United is an extension of a larger problem of an overblown government with too much power; and all of the organizations’ representatives agree the government has no right to define sex or the lives of its citizens.