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2019 SESSION ENDS WITH BALANCED BUDGET, INCREASED INVESTMENT IN CLASSROOMS, PUBLIC SAFETY
JACKSON – The Mississippi Senate ended the 2019 session today after increasing investment in teacher pay, and workforce training and public safety initiatives.
The $6.3 billion general fund budget does not include any tax increases and sets aside tax dollars in the state’s rainy day fund. The budget for Fiscal Year 2020, which begins July 1, included a raise for state employees and the anticipated increase in state employee retirement contributions.
Mississippi teachers will receive a $1,500 raise under the budget passed, which comes five years after a $2,500 teacher pay raise. Since 2014, Mississippi taxpayers have invested an additional $350 million in teacher pay raises. The popular School Recognition Program has resulted in an additional $41.8 million awarded to teachers for their work in the classroom. Since 2012, teachers earn about $8,000 more annually for their work in the classroom.
“This is a conservative budget that prioritizes public education at all levels and supports our law enforcement and military programs,” Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said. “I appreciate the work of Gov. Bryant, Speaker Gunn and senators over the past eight years to grow our state’s economy and invest in workforce training for thousands of Mississippians.”
Budgets rose in all areas of education, including a $82.1 million increase for public schools, a $14.3 million increase for community colleges and a $37.4 million increase for universities.
Lt. Gov. Reeves thanked legislators for raising the investment in Educational Scholarship Accounts for children with special needs to $5 million from $3 million. The popular program has a waitlist of parents who are seeking an education for their children that best fits their needs.
Spending on public safety rose by $15.2 million, including support for a training school for new troopers and drivers’ services. Child Protective Services will receive another $15.7 million to serve children in foster care.
The Legislature also worked to protect the state’s military investments from the federal base realignment and closure process with $7 million planned for National Guard armory upgrades and continuing construction of a gate a Keesler Air Force Base. The state also provided $16 million in matching funds to build a veterans home in Harrison County.
During the three-month session, the Legislature allowed electric cooperatives to expand broadband internet connections, strengthened legal protections for property owners, tighter punishments for human trafficking, and enacted criminal justice reform that keeps Mississippians safe while giving people the opportunity to be productive members of society.
Mississippi also will lead the nation in fighting for unborn children with the passage of Senate Bill 2116, which prohibits abortion in cases where a fetal heartbeat is detected. The bill included an exemption for cases of medical emergencies.
The Legislature continued to focus on training Mississippians for highly technical jobs and the need for more teachers in the classroom.
Senate Bill 2447 provides grants for career and technical education for students who earn specific industry certifications that support in-demand careers in the state. An additional $1 million will be invested in workforce readiness programs to steer young Mississippians good-paying careers.
House Bill 150 includes an effort to forgive up to $12,000 in student loans for teachers in geographical areas with critical needs, like the Delta, or those who teach in critical subject areas, like science, math and foreign languages.
Lt. Gov. Reeves also supported Gov. Bryant’s priority, the Mississippi School Safety Act, to strengthen security measures at public schools. House Bill 1283 supports additional training for school staff to help students manage stress and anxiety.
Other legislation passed this year includes:
· Senate Bill 2053, which allows students at community colleges and universities to earn educational credits for military service;
· Senate Bill 2452, which requires occupational licensure boards to quickly address applications of military spouses for families stationed in the state for three years or less.
· Senate Bill 2744, which bans telemarketers from masking their identity with inaccurate phone numbers.
