Rep. Bob Evans (D) announced Monday that he was stepping down as vice chair of the House Workforce Development Committee. His reason? The partisanship of Speaker Philip Gunn.
The hypocrisy of Evans is palpable.
Did Evans forget the overtly partisan Democratic leadership under McCoy? Republicans literally did not have a chairmanship or any meaningful voice under the Democrat regime. That is despite the fact that McCoy was re-elected Speaker on the third ballot by one vote.
McCoy regularly shut out Republican members from meetings, pocket vetoed legislation, and oh, the grandstanding?!
For eight grueling years, Republicans were relegated to the bench in the Mississippi House. That is a fact that cannot be argued.
And let’s not forget the redistricting battle of 2011. McCoy appointed 8 Ds and 1R to the committee. Then-Lt. Governor Phil Bryant appointed 5 Rs and 4 Ds… and almost lost the fight. House Democrats refused to budge, leaving it up to the courts and this new GOP led Legislature to finalize the plan. Why? Strictly partisan politics on the part of the House Democrats.
Philip Gunn then gets elected Speaker after Mississippi voters kick Democrats to the curb. He in turn doles out a number of vice chairmanships, and even chairmanships to Democrats, with many conservatives questioning his actions given the hardships faced in the previous years.
Now Bob Evans is taking his marbles and going home.
What Evans has actually done is give Gunn yet another chip to play in the political fight of the year. Not that he needs any, but it certainly gives Speaker Gunn the high ground to move committee appointment pieces around on the chessboard.
The resignation letter Evans submitted to Gunn was not surprisingly also disseminated to various friendly media outlets. Don’t fool yourself – Evans’ point was to gain attention in an attempt to invent a narrative knowing full well that Democrats are in a world of hurt in Mississippi politics. He and others are listening to the upstart Mississippi Democratic Trust, seeking desperately to remain relevant.
Democrats, if this is the advice you’re getting from the Trust or other liberal groups, you might as well pack it in like Evans. Such advice shouldn’t be trusted.
For the most part, Evans and other liberal members of the Legislature are reaping what they sowed for eight long years.
Yet, Evans is content to cut off his nose to spite his face and is looking like a crybaby in the process.
On behalf of conservatives across Mississippi, here’s a hanky!
Rep. Bob Evans (D) resigns his vice chairmanship from the Mississippi House
Magnolia Tribune
