Initiative 42
For parents in Mississippi, today was a small victory toward more public school funding.
“It’s one of the best days we’ve had in a long time. This has been a very, very difficult legislative session. The legislature has really tried every trick they can come up with to keep public schools from being funded as provided in the law,” said Robin Boswell.
Oxford mother, Adrian Shipman filed a lawsuit against the legislature’s alternative to the Initiative 42 ballot, claiming that the language could confuse voters and sway them to vote a certain way. Today, a Hinds County judge ruled in favor of Shipman. Initiative 42 was proposed by citizens and seeks to require the state to fully fund public schools.
“Instead of funding our schools adequately”, said Boswell, “They’ve been funding way below an adequate standard. Local areas have been trying to make up the difference but that is not what the law says. So initiative 42 says do what you’re supposed to do state, fund our schools."
Many legislatures say the Mississippi Adequate Education Program is a broken formula. Yet, House Representative Jeramey Anderson says that if the state agrees to fully fund public schools, then they should keep their word.
"We have so much money in our day to day fund. We can do this, we can do that, we can offer these tax cuts yet when it comes to funding key issues and funding key projects in the state of Mississippi, the answer is we don’t have the money”, said Anderson.
The judge ruled the language must be changed before the year’s election.
“It’s one of the best days we’ve had in a long time. This has been a very, very difficult legislative session. The legislature has really tried every trick they can come up with to keep public schools from being funded as provided in the law,” said Robin Boswell.
Oxford mother, Adrian Shipman filed a lawsuit against the legislature’s alternative to the Initiative 42 ballot, claiming that the language could confuse voters and sway them to vote a certain way. Today, a Hinds County judge ruled in favor of Shipman. Initiative 42 was proposed by citizens and seeks to require the state to fully fund public schools.
“Instead of funding our schools adequately”, said Boswell, “They’ve been funding way below an adequate standard. Local areas have been trying to make up the difference but that is not what the law says. So initiative 42 says do what you’re supposed to do state, fund our schools."
Many legislatures say the Mississippi Adequate Education Program is a broken formula. Yet, House Representative Jeramey Anderson says that if the state agrees to fully fund public schools, then they should keep their word.
"We have so much money in our day to day fund. We can do this, we can do that, we can offer these tax cuts yet when it comes to funding key issues and funding key projects in the state of Mississippi, the answer is we don’t have the money”, said Anderson.
The judge ruled the language must be changed before the year’s election.
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