State Senate amends, passes teacher pay bill

JACKSON, Miss. (WXXV)- The Mississippi State Senate has passed one of the state House’s teacher pay raise bills, after a series of amendments and debates over teacher pay this legislative session.

Lt. Governor Delbert Hoseman’s office says today that the Senate’s amendment and passage of House Bill 1395 is in response to the House last week amending Senate Bill 2103, which put the discussion of teacher pay back on the table this session.

The Senate has sent this bill back to the House for consideration, and if passed there, would also need Governor Tate Reeves’ signature.

Reeves has signaled his support for a teacher pay increase as a top priority this session.

The provisions of House Bill 1395 include a $6,000 teacher pay raise spread out over three years, a $9,000 raise for special education spread out over three years, and a $2,000 pay raise for assistant teachers and college professors.