The end of 2018 is getting close, and the new year is peeking through the fog of holiday overindulgence, bringing with it the hustle and bustle of a new Legislative session.
I always enjoy following along with our elected leaders — state leaders, at least — as they work to write bills, gather support and make new laws. It’s the backbone of our government played out in real time each January through April. I love it.
However, I have to wonder if the 2019 Legislative session might be a bit muted compared to the flurries of activity we saw earlier this year with a new funding bill for Mississippi public schools, which failed, arguments about fuel tax and gun control, which also failed, and of course, the 15-week abortion ban, which the Legislature passed knowing it would cost the taxpayers of Mississippi hundreds of thousands in legal fees before ultimately being struck down by the Federal Judiciary.
I’m going to have to stop that train of thought right now or else I won’t get anything else done today. The Legislature’s eagerness to burn the Bill of Rights on a pyre of their constituents’ money is a sore subject for me, but the point remains 2018 had a lot of things going on. With 2019 being an election year, I’m curious to see if our state’s political class will bring the same ire as last year or hunker down until the storm clouds of the electorate recede and tempers are soothed by another four years free of contestation.
Already I have begun to see the telltale signs of issues might join the que vying for a spot on the House and Senate dockets. Fully funding MAEP, the algorithm used to distribute money to public schools, is among the front runners. That’s an annual topic, but the Legislature has never fully funded it, so I don’t see much hope for that.
Increasing pay for teachers is another big issue, again a frequent visitor to the Capitol grounds and just as frequently abandoned. Perhaps a fuel tax will make another round through the various committees before ultimately failing to produce any tangible results, or Medicaid expansion, or PERS – the retirement system for state employees, — felony disenfranchisement reforms, public health education.
Each year our elected leaders take on these and hundreds of other issues that demand their attention throughout the 3-month Legislative session, and each year hundreds are left with no solution.
I sympathize with the politicians who head to Jackson each spring to dive headfirst into the legislative melee to try to get something done. Just from what I’ve seen on CSPAN, it can’t be fun. However, there is so much to do. I know it’s an election year. I know the “safe” thing to do is keep low and weather the storm. But, the residents of Mississippi need leaders who will do what needs to be done, regardless of the election cycle. School funding, teacher pay, fuel tax, take any one of those and do something with it. It may not be popular with campaign managers or financial backers, but it is what is best for Mississippi.
Thomas is the managing editor of the Appeal. He can be reached at thoward@newtoncountyappeal.com.
