President Donald Trump welcomes Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, left, to the stage at a rally at BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Miss., Friday, Nov. 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
- “The House should pass it! The Senate should then pass it! And I will gladly sign it to keep Mississippi’s momentum booming,” Governor Tate Reeves said.
Governor Tate Reeves (R) took to social media Tuesday afternoon to encourage lawmakers in the Mississippi House and Senate to send HB 2, the “Mississippi Educational Freedom Program Act of 2026,” to his desk.
HB 2, authored by Speaker Jason White (R) and supported by the House Republican caucus, is an omnibus education package that would, among other things, loosen restrictions and aid to support transfers between public schools, allow a first year limit of 12,500 students to access their state allotted funds for private school tuition, and rework of the authorization framework for new charter schools.
READ MORE: Mississippi House proposes ambitious package of school choice reforms
Governor Reeves said Mississippi has delivered unprecedented education results and experienced unprecedented economic growth.
“But it didn’t happen by accident. And it’s not a miracle,” the governor wrote. “It has happened because policy makers were willing to look the naysayers in the eye and say, ‘Conservative policy works! Period!'”
Reeves said HB 2 “is a well-thought out next step in giving Mississippi families more say in their kid’s education!”
The governor complimented the work of White and the House education team for their work on the education freedom expansion package.
“The House should pass it! The Senate should then pass it! And I will gladly sign it to keep Mississippi’s momentum booming,” Governor Reeves said.
Below is a graphic shared by Speaker White on what is included in HB 2.
“The Mississippi Education Freedom Act builds on that success,” White said recently. “It expands opportunity, uses proven instructional strategies, and empowers parents to decide what is best for their children. This legislation prioritizes freedom, results, and Mississippi’s future workforce.
Reeves’ backing comes as U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has issued the White House’s endorsement of the plan to create Education Savings Accounts that permit money already allocated by the state of Mississippi on a per student basis to follow the child to the school of their choice, including private schools.
READ MORE: Trump White House endorses Speaker Jason White’s universal school choice plan
As reported by Magnolia Tribune, Secretary McMahon said Friday that she was “thrilled to see Mississippi advancing an ambitious school choice expansion in their 2026 session” and that “[g]iving parents options is essential to improving education outcomes and ensuring every child finds the learning environment that best fits their needs. Well done, Jason White.”
President Donald Trump (R) has also repeatedly spoke in favor of providing school choice to every child in America, and the issue has been placed in the Republican Party’s platform as well.
