Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann addresses the Senate Chamber prior to the start of the swearing-in ceremony at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. Both chambers of lawmakers were sworn into the new four-year term that began at noon Tuesday. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
- Mississippi families can’t wait another year while politicians dither. And the Senate Republicans who sided with the radical left to block this education freedom must be held accountable at the ballot box.
Parents and students in Mississippi deserve better than the status quo that’s failing them. This week, the Mississippi Senate Education Committee killed the House’s universal school choice bill on a voice vote Tuesday, after it had already passed out of the House.
The bill represents President Trump’s main education priority, backed by the Trump Administration and Governor Tate Reeves. It’s a straightforward plan to let education dollars follow the child, giving families real options beyond failing government schools.
Governor Reeves didn’t mince words today when he called out the Senate leadership for this betrayal. “In my 23 years—I’ve never been more disappointed in elected officials than I am this morning in LG Hosemann and Senator Dennis Debar,” he said.
And he’s spot on. These so-called Republicans killed a core conservative priority that’s championed by Republicans nationwide, and they did it by cozying up to Democrats. As Reeves put it, “They killed a Republican legislative priority shared by conservatives all across this country and they worked closely with the Democrats to do it.” They’re surrendering to the teachers’ unions and the big government bureaucrats who want to keep families trapped.
Speaker Jason White, the primary sponsor of HB 2, echoed that sentiment, slamming the Senate for putting systems over students. “The Senate has chosen the route to shut down any productive pathway to put students before systems,” White said. He didn’t stop there, exposing the unholy alliance at play: “Senate leadership has aligned themselves with the ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, the Mississippi Democratic Party, and the status quo.”
That’s right—the same radical groups that fight against parental rights and educational innovation are now the Senate’s bedfellows. How can any Republican justify standing with organizations that support boys in girls’ sports, push transgender surgeries for children, and advocate for unlimited abortion?
If universal school choice doesn’t make it to Governor Reeves’ desk this session, he needs to step up and call a special session. No more delays, no more excuses. Mississippi families can’t wait another year while politicians dither.
And the Senate Republicans who sided with the radical left to block this education freedom must be held accountable at the ballot box. Primaries exist for a reason – to replace those who betray conservative principles with leaders who actually deliver.
The hypocrisy here is staggering, especially from Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann. This is the same man who sent his own kids to a private school in Jackson, Mississippi, exercising the very choice he’s now denying to low-income families.
Hosemann enjoyed the benefits of educational options for his family, but when it comes to everyone else – especially those who can’t afford private tuition – he’s content to let them rot in underperforming public schools.
This “choice for me, but not for thee” attitude is the epitome of elite arrogance. Mississippians deserve leaders who practice what they preach, not hypocrites who pull up the ladder behind them.
We’ve seen this movie before, and it always ends the same way: with accountability leading to victory for families. Take Iowa in 2022. The Senate there passed a solid school choice bill, but the House refused to send it to Governor Kim Reynolds’ desk. Reynolds didn’t back down – she jumped into the primary elections, supporting challengers who shared her vision.
The result was a new, more conservative House that passed an even more expansive universal school choice program in 2023. There’s a running joke in Iowa that the Democrats should have supported the pared-down version in 2022, because after the ballot box reckoning, they ended up with full-blown universal choice. That’s what happens when leaders fight back.
The same story unfolded in Texas. The Texas Senate consistently passed school choice legislation, only for the House to block it. Governor Greg Abbott showed real spine by calling multiple special sessions and refusing to let the issue die. He engaged in primaries, ousted the obstructionists, and built a new, more conservative House. By 2025, Texas finally passed universal school choice, proving that persistence and accountability pay off. Abbott didn’t accept “no” from his own party; he remade it.
Governor Tate Reeves should follow the Reynolds-Abbott playbook to the letter. Call those special sessions if needed. Get involved in the primaries. Rally conservatives to replace the Senate Republicans who aligned with the left. And remember, the Mississippi House and Governor have other tools at their disposal – they can play hardball and kill Senate priorities until the Senate passes universal school choice.
Mississippi can be the next success story, but only if we hold these politicians accountable. The teachers’ unions and their allies in the Democratic Party are terrified of school choice because it breaks their monopoly. They know that when families have options, failing schools have to improve or close – and that’s a win for kids.
This setback is no reason to back down from the fight for school choice. Mississippians must demand better from their leaders, contact their senators, and support candidates who prioritize education freedom. Mississippi’s children can’t afford another generation of broken promises. It’s time to put students first – for real this time.
Corey DeAngelis
