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Resolution of the Mississippi Republican Party Central Committee
WHEREAS, Initiative 42 is the proposed ballot amendment that would fundamentally alter the framework of the Mississippi Constitution, shifting education funding and policymaking decisions from locally-elected legislators and giving that authority to the courts;
WHEREAS, Initiative 42 has serious consequences for Mississippi’s economic outlook: the state’s ability to pay for critical infrastructure upgrades, higher education (including community colleges and universities), and workforce training will be at risk of significant budget cuts;
WHEREAS, the campaign to change the Mississippi Constitution to put courts in control of our children’s education is being funded by liberal, out-of-state organizations;
WHEREAS, these out-of-state organizations and Democrat activists have funneled millions into the Initiative 42 campaign, because they view it as the litmus test for whether this new backdoor political strategy – bypassing locally-elected legislators for activist judicial venues – will work in other states;
WHEREAS, Democrat activists in Washington, D.C. are working alongside Mississippi Democrats to use education as a political wedge issue in the 2015 general election;
WHEREAS, Republican leaders such as Governor Phil Bryant, Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves, and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn have a strong record of supporting public education, including providing record funding, along with a focus on improved educational outcomes;
WHEREAS, Governor Bryant and the Republican-controlled Legislature are spending more money on K-12 public education than at any time in Mississippi history, with specific investments in literacy promotion, teacher pay raises, classroom supplies, and school safety;
WHEREAS, Governor Bryant and the Republican-controlled Legislature have implemented education reforms, including charter schools, special-needs scholarships, and other programs that empower parents, not bureaucrats, to make educational choices for their children; and
WHEREAS, in light of the liberal, out-of-state organizations pushing this unprecedented constitutional amendment that would put the courts in control of our children’s education and more than fifty (50) percent of the state budget, Governor Bryant, Lieutenant Governor Reeves, and Speaker Gunn believe education policymaking and funding decisions must remain in the legislative and executive branches, where voters can hold officials accountable.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Mississippi Republican Party State Central Committee that it opposes efforts to amend our Constitution through Initiative 42 and urges Republicans across the state to “vote against both” on November 3rd.
*Resolution adopted September 14, 2015, at 1:30 p.m.
