Video: Mississippi House Passes Initiative Alternative

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JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – The Mississippi House of Representatives passed a legislative alternative to Initiative 42 on Monday.

The resolution passed 64 to 57, mostly along party lines.

Republicans say this alternative will keep the decision about education funding in the legislature and out of the hands of a Hinds County judge.

Opponents believe the Mississippi Adequate Education Program should be fully funded and lawmakers should be forced to do so legally.

The measure must now be voted on by the State Senate, where it’s expected to pass.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The Mississippi House, on a 64-57 vote Tuesday, approved House Concurrent Resolution 9, which would place an alternate version of an constitutional amendment dealing with K-12 education funding on the November ballot

A yes vote was a vote for the resolution, while a no vote was a vote against it.

Voting yes were 64 Republicans and no Democrats. Voting no were two Republicans and 55 Democrats. One Democrat was absent.
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Republicans voting yes (64):

Aldridge, Tupelo; Arnold, Booneville; Baker, Brandon; Barker, Hattiesburg; Barton, Moss Point; Beckett, Bruce; Bell, Fulton; Bennett, Long Beach; Bounds, Philadelphia; Boyd, Mantachie;

Chris Brown, Aberdeen; Busby, Pascagoula; Byrd, Petal; Carpenter, Burnsville; Chism, Columbus; Crawford, Pass Christian; Currie, Brookhaven; DeBar, Leakesville; DeLano, Biloxi; Denny, Jackson;

Eure, Biloxi; Formby, Picayune; Frierson, Poplarville; Gipson, Braxton; Guice, Ocean Springs; Gunn, Clinton; Hamilton, Olive Branch; Haney, Gulfport; Hood, Stewart; Horne, Meridian;

Howell, Kilmichael; M. Huddleston, Pontotoc; Jennings, Southaven; Kinkade, Byhalia; Ladner, Poplarville; Lamar, Senatobia; Lott, Sumrall; Martinson, Madison; Massengill, Hickory Flat; Mayo, Oxford;

McLeod, Lucedale; Mettetal, Sardis; Mims, McComb; Monsour, Vicksburg; Moore, Brandon; Morgan, Morgantown; Nelson, Southaven; Patterson, Biloxi; Pigott, Tylertown; Powell, Brandon;

Read, Gautier; R. Rogers, Pearl; Rushing, Decatur; Shirley, Quitman; Shows, Ellisville; J. Smith, Columbus; Snowden, Meridian; Staples, Laurel; Taylor, Boyle; Turner, Baldwyn;

Weathersby, Florence; White, West; Willis, Diamondhead; Zuber, Ocean Springs.
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Republicans voting no (2):

Alday, Walls; M. Rogers, New Albany;
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Democrats voting no (55):

Anderson, Moss Point; Bailey, Greenville; Bain, Corinth; Banks, Jackson; Baria, Bay St. Louis; Barnes, Gulfport; Blackmon, Canton; Cecil Brown, Jackson; Burnett, Tunica; Calhoun, Jackson;

Campbell, Jackson; Clark, Pickens; Clarke, Jackson; Cockerham, Magnolia; L. Coleman, Mound Bayou; M. Coleman, Jackson; Denton, Vicksburg; Dickson, Macon; Dixon, Raymond; Eaton, Taylorsville;

Ellis, Starkville; Espy, Clarksdale; B. Evans, Monticello; J. Evans, Jackson; M. Evans, Preston; Faulkner, Holly Springs; Gibbs, West Point; Harrison, Columbus; Hines, Greenville; Holland, Plantersville;

Holloway, Hazlehurst; Horan, Grenada; R. Huddleston, Sumner; Jackson, Como; Johnson, Natchez; Lane, Waynesboro; Middleton, Port Gibson; Miles, Forest; Moak, Bogue Chitto; Myers, McComb;

Oberhousen, Terry; Perkins, Greenwood; Reynolds, Charleston; Scott, Laurel; F. Smith, Carthage; Steverson, Ripley; Straughter, Belzoni; Stringer, Montrose; Sullivan, Okolona; Thomas, Indianola;

Warren, Mount Olive; Watson, Hattiesburg; Whittington, Schlater; Wooten, Jackson; Young, Meridian.
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Democrat absent (1):

Malone, Carthage.

***Press Release from the Mississippi House of Representatives House Information Officer***

Jackson, MS—Today, the MS House of Representatives passed House Concurrent Resolution 9 (HCR9) providing for a legislative alternative to Initiative 42 by a vote of 64-57.

“House Republicans have been focused on designing a clear alternative to Initiative 42,” said Speaker of the House Philip Gunn. “With HCR9, focus is on educational output and accomplishments, not just funding for the sake of funding. The operative word in the alternative is effective. We want schools that are accomplishing something. We want schools that are effective.”

The alternative states: “The Legislature shall, by general law, provide for the establishment, maintenance and support of an effective system of free public schools.”

It focuses on three factors:

• Keeping the decision about funding in the hands of the voters, not a judge for whom voters cannot vote.
• Preserving the integrity of the Constitution by maintaining the separation of powers between the legislature and the judiciary.
• Focusing on educational outputs and accomplishments.

“If the legislature is removed from the process, the people are being removed from the process,” said Speaker Gunn. “Their right to say how their money is being spent is being taken away. Initiative 42 proposes to do just that—remove the people from the process and put that decision in the hands of a judge for whom the people cannot vote.”