Lt. Governor Hosemann let us down

• Grant Callen writes that no independent observer could reasonably conclude that Hosemann doesn’t shoulder much of the responsibility for the death of school choice bills in Mississippi this year.

Last week the Legislative Session came to a close and lawmakers went home without passing a budget, virtually guaranteeing that Governor Reeves will have to call lawmakers back for a Special Session to adopt a budget before the end of the fiscal year. 

Families across Mississippi came into this session cautiously optimistic that for the first time since 2016, Mississippi lawmakers would finally expand educational opportunities for families. Speaker Jason White made school choice a top priority issue and fought for bills to simplify public school transfers across district lines, broaden the reach of charter schools, allow homeschool students to participate in public school extracurriculars, allow families to use a portion of their tax dollars to pay for private school tuition, and make it easier for students with special needs to access the state’s ESA program. Governor Reeves voiced his support for these House-passed measures.

Yet sadly, that hope was extinguished when the Senate allowed every school choice expansion bill to die in committee without even taking a vote. Once again, the entrenched education establishment mobilized, inundating House and Senate members with baseless fears that expanding parental options would unravel public education. Despite the clear need for expanded options, the voices of superintendents and administrators drowned out the pleas of parents and families, and the Senate chose the path of least resistance—killing these bills rather than confronting the status quo.

We can no longer allow the coalition of the status quo to go on sowing fear and doubt with lies and misinformation. Groups like the misleadingly named Parents’ Campaign undermine civil discourse by distorting facts, fueling fear and suspicion toward families seeking options, and showing little regard for students’ needs compared to preserving the entrenched interests of the education establishment. Lawmakers can stand with the Parents’ Campaign, or they can stand with students and families, but they cannot do both.

We recognize there are plenty of legitimate questions about how school choice would be implemented. We welcome those discussions, but the only way to do that in good faith is to start with the truth.

The superintendents who oppose school choice should have a seat at the table. Lawmakers should take their perspective into account but recognize that their primary interest is defending the systems and institutions of the status quo—not standing up for the needs of individual children who are being left behind. 

For families looking for someone to blame, no independent observer could reasonably conclude that Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann doesn’t shoulder much of the responsibility for the death of school choice bills this year.

Lt. Governor Hosemann is a thoughtful lawmaker and a friend, but he has never been a champion for school choice. In fact, some would say there’s ample evidence he opposes it, but this year he publicly endorsed one type of school choice commonly called “portability”—the idea of allowing students to choose to attend a public school outside their home district. However, when the Senate had a chance to pass its own portability bill, they didn’t even bring it to a vote. And when the House sent them a similar bill, the Senate Education Committee also failed to vote on it, letting it die without action. 

There are several possible reasons for the Senate’s failure to act on school choice legislation this year. But regardless of the “why,” it’s a dark day for Mississippi families and a reminder of the powerful influence of the coalition of the status quo. School choice isn’t just legislation; it’s a lifeline for students stuck in schools that aren’t meeting their needs and an opportunity to ensure every child’s potential is unleashed, no matter their circumstances. I am deeply disappointed that the Senate has turned its back on these families, silencing a rising tide of voices demanding better. 

As the leader of the State Senate, the responsibility lies with Lt. Governor Hosemann.

When Mississippi started down the school choice path with the passage of charter school legislation in 2013, we were a national leader. In 2015 we were the third state in the nation to pass an education savings account program, and I received calls from education advocates in other states who wanted to understand how we did it and how they could use our legislation as a model in their state. 

Today, Mississippi is being left behind by an education choice revolution that is sweeping the country, giving parents new and innovative options to ensure their children can attend a school where they thrive. Fifteen states have passed school choice programs that are open to every child in their state, dozens of states have wide open laws that allow charter schools to be opened anywhere, and nearly 30 states allow students broad flexibility to choose a different public school if one’s home district is not a good fit. But not in Mississippi.

Mississippi is now surrounded on all sides by states that have universal school choice and far surpass the educational options we provide to parents and students. Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana have all joined the movement. Given that 38% of Mississippi residents live in counties that border these other states, the pressure on Mississippi lawmakers to act will only intensify as families learn from their neighbors across state lines about how educational options can transform lives. The growing awareness of these benefits is certain to fuel demand for similar opportunities here as President Trump continues to pound his bully pulpit about the merits of school choice.

I’ve never been more convinced that school choice is coming to Mississippi, but will we lose another generation of kids before lawmakers act? School choice legislation may be dead for 2025, but this movement is very much alive and growing stronger every day. We stand ready to work with anyone, including my friend Lt. Governor Hosemann, to deliver long overdue education options to Mississippi families.