Rawnie Musgrove and band of trial lawyers sue to get their share of millions in MS education dollars

14 school districts sue state for underfunding Mississippi Adequate Educational Program

“Millions of dollars will go into Ronnie’s and other lawyers’ pockets instead of into the schools,” said Claiborne Barksdale, a referendum supporter and retired CEO of the Barksdale Reading Initiative, which is funded with brother Jim Barksdale’s $100 million pledge to improve reading. “The irony is striking. The constitutional referendum is by far the best way to attack the underfunding issue â?” a permanent, conservative, constitutionally-grounded approach with broad public backing.”

Musgrove’s legal group would make $27.8 million in fees from the 14 districts they represent, according to Associated Press calculations using a sample fee schedule.

“It is disappointing to me that Ronnie Musgrove is using education as a pretense to get rich at the expense of the Mississippi taxpayers,” Gov Phil Bryant said in a statement, warning that successful suits could force the state to raise taxes.

GulfLive
8/28/14