WCBI – Lieutenant Governor says teacher pay raise priority for upcoming session
WTOK – Bryant, Reeves call for teacher pay raise
Mississippi’s governor and lieutenant governor say they will support teacher pay raises in the 2019 legislative session, months before state elections.
The Republicans expressed support Thursday in a series of tweets. Spokespersons for both Gov. Phil Bryant and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves say no plan has been finalized and they expect to work something out once lawmakers convene for the 2019 regular session in January.
Reeves is expected to run for governor next year.
The Mississippi Department of Education says teachers made an average of $44,659 in the 2016-2017 school year.
Great idea, Lieutenant Governor. I’m all in. ? https://t.co/IEcedaKSew
— Phil Bryant (@PhilBryantMS) September 6, 2018
WCBI – Sports betting gaining attention in Mississippi
CLARION LEDGER – Conservative columnist George Will pens piece on Democrat Espy, Senate odds
National conservative columnist George Will has penned a piece titled, “How a Democrat could finagle a win in Mississippi” after a trip to Oxford and a sit-down with Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy.
Amid some quoting of William Faulkner and invoking “Eudora Welty, Walker Percy, Shelby Foote (and) Jesmyn Ward” and waxing metaphorically about the state’s “rich loam” of social soil and catfish, Will says, “The odds are somewhat, but only somewhat, against Espy, so the possibility of victory is not an illusion.”
“He is campaigning within the parameters of normal politics, which makes this a satisfying American as well as local moment,” Will ends the column.
Will talked campaign arithmetic with former U.S. Rep. Espy on the November special election to replace longtime Sen. Thad Cochran. Espy faces Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, whom Gov. Phil Bryant appointed to fill the seat temporarily, and Republican state Sen. Chris McDaniel, who nearly toppled Cochran in a 2014 primary. The two Republicans have thus far focused most efforts at bashing each other, while Espy’s campaign has been low-key. That’s all likely to change as the election nears.
#MSSen: Baria releases new ad
New digital ad from David Baria, Democratic challenger of Sen. Roger Wicker, could turn some heads. https://t.co/C7HlCU8A1Q #mssen
— Adam Ganucheau (@GanucheauAdam) September 7, 2018
#MS04: Anderson calls Gov. Bryant’s asinine
??♂️?, wait what? What are your thoughts on the Governor’s “asinine” statement? https://t.co/cicX5XIJqN
— Rep. Jeramey Anderson (@jerameyanderson) September 6, 2018
#MSSen: Hyde-Smith endorsed by National Right to Life
Proud to be endorsed by @nrlc! Thomas Jefferson once said the care of human life, NOT its destruction, should be the ONLY goal of good government — and I agree. I’ll never apologize for my faith or abandon my belief that all children are guaranteed the right to life by God. pic.twitter.com/qcgYg1NvjW
— Cindy Hyde-Smith (@cindyhydesmith) September 5, 2018
Sen. Graham enters Gov. Bryant’s op-ed into record at SCOTUS hearing
Thanks to @LindseyGrahamSC for introducing my op-ed supporting Judge Brett Kavanaugh into the record during this morning’s Senate hearing. #ConfirmKavanaugh https://t.co/NN0lECpJsh
— Phil Bryant (@PhilBryantMS) September 6, 2018
Wicker seeks to stop expansion of abortion services
Today I urged @HHSgov @SecAzar to do more to stop the expansion of abortion coverage under #Obamacare. Obama-era regulations have failed to separate abortion coverage from taxpayer-supported health plans. Read more here ➡ https://t.co/qS11v28RxD pic.twitter.com/s4ehphMWYQ
— Senator Roger Wicker (@SenatorWicker) September 6, 2018
Congressman Harper chairs House Committee hearing on high quality care at nursing homes
RECAP: #SubOversight examines federal efforts to ensure high quality care at nursing homes >> https://t.co/Nu9nPtFsMz
— Energy and Commerce (@HouseCommerce) September 6, 2018
WJTV – Portrait of former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Kay Cobb unveiled
WDAM – Mississippi education funding causes concern
In 1997, the Mississippi Adequate Education Program was created to ensure that every child in the state receives a quality education whether they live in a wealthy or poor community. However, in over 20 years, it’s only been fully funded twice.
“The state, however, in my opinion, has not made education a priority not only in this particular instance, but historically has not made it a priority,” said Rep. Jeramey Anderson. “Instead, it’s decreased funding several years, failed to fully fund things and have put other things above education as far as tax breaks and what have you.”
Funding from the program go toward teacher and other district employee salaries, textbooks and instructional materials, basic operation costs, transportation, special education, vocational education, gifted and alternative education. However, Sen. Joey Fillingane believes the program is outdated and is long overdue for some changes.
“Anything that’s that old in education, which is quickly moving and changing as education is in our country, needs to be updated,” he said.
Fillingane says that lawmakers hope to change the education formula soon.
