Yet Another Conservative Republican to Challenge Washington’s Choice for Mississippi’s Representative
Democrats responded to today’s announcement by conservative activist Angela McGlowan that she will join the growing field of candidates who are challenging Alan Nunnelee’s conservative credentials in a Republican primary for Congress in Mississippi. Recently, Representative Geoff Davis raised concerns that the National Republican Congressional Committee is mistaken in supporting Nunnelee instead of giving the “situation” time to develop. Last week, conservative former rural mayor Henry Ross also announced his campaign against Nunnelee.
“Given Alan Nunnelee’s record, it’s no surprise that conservative activists in Mississippi are stepping forward to challenge him,” said Jesse Ferguson, Southern Regional Press Secretary at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Whether you’re a Republican, an Independent or a Democrat, you don’t want to support someone who broke their word to the people of Mississippi. Nunnelee signed his word that he wouldn’t raise taxes and then worked to raise tobacco tax and hospital taxes. With a record like that, it’s no wonder more candidates aren’t getting into the race to make sure Nunnelee is accountable for his record.”
BACKGROUND
Senator Nunnelee has a decade long history of supporting tax increases, despite his later pledges to fight against them.
HOSPITALS: In 2009, Nunnelee broke from the rest of the State Senate to support Governor Barbour’s proposal for a $90 million hospital tax increase to pay for Medicaid. [Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 5/18/09]
In 2009, Nunnelee voted for a bill to levy a $60 million bed tax on hospitals for the first year and was to increase over the next three years to $90 million. Revenues from the hospital tax would pay for Medicaid. [Commercial Appeal, 6/30/09; Biloxi Sun Herald, 7/10/09; Clarion Ledger, 7/01/09] The bill passed the Senate, 50-0, and was approved by the Governor. [HB 71, 2009 Second Extraordinary Session, 6/30/09]
GAS SALES: In 1997, Nunnelee voted for a bill to allow the State Oil and Gas Board to levy a tax of up to 6 mils per thousand cubic feet of gas sold in Mississippi, from the previous cap of 4 mils per thousand cubic feet. The bill also allowed the State Oil and Gas Board to increase taxes on a barrel of oil produced in Mississippi from 35 mils to 60 mils, which translates into a 71% increase. [SB 2473, 1997 Mississippi Regular Session, 4/01/97; http://www.mscode.com/free/statutes/53/001/0073.htm]
TOBACCO: Nunnelee voted to increase the state cigarette tax by 50 cents, an increase of 277% and “one of the largest tax increases in the history of Mississippi”. [ATR Press Release, 5/12/09, HB 364]
Signed Pledge to Not Increase Taxes: In both 2008 and 2009, Nunnelee signed the Americans for Tax Reform’s “State Taxpayer Protection” Pledge. By signing the Pledge, Nunnelee swore to “oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.” In addition to signing the ATR pledge Nunnelee served as a ATR “Taxpayer Protection Caucus Chair” for Mississippi [atr.org 2009; atr.org 2008, accessed 2/05/10]; However, within months of signing that pledge he had already broken it by raising taxes– on hospital beds used by sick people. [Commercial Appeal, 6/30/09; Biloxi Sun Herald, 7/10/09; Clarion Ledger, 7/01/09; HB 71, 2009 Second Extraordinary Session, 6/30/09]
Ross Enters Primary: Last Week, Former Eupora mayor Henry Ross became the second candidate to enter the Republican primary in Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District. [Associated Press, 2/03/10]
Magnolia Tribune
