Copiah County, Miss. (Copiah County Courier) – Undersheriff Derrick Cubit has received recognition from the Secretary of State’s office for his “service in protecting the citizens of Copiah County and the State of Mississippi.”

Secretary Delbert Hosemann continued, “Your unyielding passion and dedication to your career is a great service to our State. I appreciate the risk you take for us each and every day.

“The Secretary of State’s Office is currently featuring you in our Behind the Badge spotlight on our website at www.sos.ms.gov.”

A certificate was also presented in honor of his “dedication and service to the community and State of Mississippi.”

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Jackson, Miss. (Clarion Ledger) – Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves has raised another $1 million this year in his push to win the governor’s race, new campaign finance reports show.

The Republican has about $6.7 million in his campaign accounts, leaving his Republican and Democratic rivals far behind in terms of fundraising.

Yet it appears Reeves’ most formidable Republican opponent, Bill Waller Jr., has raised enough to stay competitive ahead of the August primary. He launched his campaign two months ago and has since brought in $580,000.

And Attorney General Jim Hood, a Democrat, also continues to bring in hefty donations, reporting more than $750,000 since the start of the year. Hood has close to $1.2 million in cash to spend, according to the reports filed with the state Friday afternoon.

Waller, a former Mississippi Supreme Court chief justice, faces Reeves and state Rep. Robert Foster in the Republican primary. In a Wednesday fundraising announcement, his campaign said it received about 700 donations and “exceeded its fundraising goal so far.”

Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller gestures during a debate between himself and Rep. Robert Foster, R-Hernando, unseen, during a Mississippi Republican gubernatorial debate in Starkville, Miss., Tuesday, April 2, 2019. Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, also a candidate, did not take part in the debate.

Reeves, meanwhile, has accumulated a campaign war chest that’s more than three times larger than the one Republican Gov. Phil Bryant had on hand at the same juncture, prior to winning election in 2011.

“We’re gearing up to defeat the Democrats trying to turn Mississippi blue, and this overwhelming fundraising effort gives us the tools we need to get it done,” Reeves spokesman Parker Briden said in a statement.

The Republican gubernatorial candidates began spending significant money in recent weeks, each launching digital or television ads.

Here are fundraising details from other statewide candidates whose reports were posted Friday:

Robert Foster, governor. Foster, a Republican state representative from Hernando, reported raising close to $73,000, and spending about $66,000 since January. He said on Twitter earlier this week that he wouldn’t “have millions in the bank come Friday when campaign finance reports are released. In fact, I don’t want it, because there are huge strings attached to money like that.”

Robert Shuler Smith, governor. The Hinds County district attorney and Democrat reported bringing in $11,000 since entering the gubernatorial race two months ago. Most of the cash came as a transfer from his DA campaign account. He reported spending nearly as much as he brought in, primarily on staff expenses and meals. He has just $387 in cash on hand ahead of his August primary contest against Hood.

Velesha Williams, governor. The Democrat, a former Jackson State University employee who is new to politics, brought in almost $12,000 since January, much of it loans from herself. She spent nearly $13,000 on various campaign expenses and reported $137 leftover in her account.

Delbert Hosemann, lieutenant governor. The current Republican secretary of state raised more than $366,000 and spent about $266,000 in the first four months of the year. Hosemann has now built up a $2.7 million campaign war chest after previous fundraising hauls. He received more than 330 donations so far this year. “We continue to be encouraged by the support Mississippians have conveyed for our candidacy,” Hosemann said in a statement. He faces a little-known candidate, Shane Quick of Lake Cormorant, in August’s Republican primary.

Jay Hughes, lieutenant governor. The Democrat, a state representative from Oxford, brought in almost $392,000 — the majority loans from himself — and spent about $644,000 so far this year. He reported $162,000 left to spend. A previous filing, in January, did not include itemized expenses for his credit card charges, but Hughes later provided the credit card statements, and the latest filing included details of his campaign’s more recent individual charges. Hughes doesn’t have a primary opponent.

Mark Baker, attorney general. The conservative state representative reported bringing in about $75,000 so far this year and spending about $10,000 more than that in the same period, leaving him with about $368,000 in cash on hand after previous fundraising.

Lynn Fitch, attorney general. The Republican state treasurer reported bringing in $259,000 and spending more than $107,000 since January in her bid for attorney general. She has more than $400,000 remaining in her campaign account after previous fundraising.

Jennifer Riley Collins, attorney general. The lone Democrat in the race and the current executive director of the Mississippi ACLU reported raising $29,000 since January, and spending about $11,000 of that.

Andy Taggart, attorney general. The Republican reported raising $308,000 since he announced his candidacy two months ago, and spent about $85,000 of that, much of it on transportation. Taggart served as chief of staff for the late Gov. Kirk Fordice.

Sam Britton, secretary of state. The Republican Public Service commissioner for the southern district reported bringing in $524,000 since the start of the year — $500,000 of that via two loans to his own campaign. He spent $130,000, on consulting, a website and other media-related expenses.

Johnny DuPree, secretary of state. The Democrat and former longtime mayor of Hattiesburg gathered $20,000 since the start of the year — including a $15,000 loan — and has spent more than $16,000 of it on online ads and campaign materials. DuPree was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2011, the first African American major party nominee for governor of Mississippi since Reconstruction. He faces a little-known opponent, Maryra Hodges Hunt, of Cruger, in the primary.

Michael Watson, secretary of state. The conservative state senator raised close to $200,000 since the beginning of the year, spending about $42,000. He still has significant money to spend after previous fundraising efforts.

Buck Clarke, treasurer. The Senate Appropriations Committee chairman has raised nearly $67,000, and reported spending just shy of $21,000, since January. A Republican from Hollandale, Clarke has $204,562 in cash on hand. No Democratic challengers are in the race, though Clarke will face a primary opponent.

David McRae, treasurer. The Republican brought in $609,000, mostly in the past month, though about $500,000 of that was thanks to loans to himself. He spent about $246,000 of that so far.

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Eagle Lake, Miss. (WJTV) – Sec. of State Delbert Hosemann toured the flood damaged areas of the Eagle Lake Community in Warren County.

Residential areas there are still underwater, as of Saturday.

Hosmann met with the neighbors who are affected by the widespread damage.

The majority of people there say they want to add pumps to help avoid future floods.

One man says they’ve waited long enough for the issue to be addressed.

“There’s mixed emotions about doing it and now we’re waiting,” Paul Banchetti said.

“I think we’ve waited 40 years. It sounds like the waiting period is over. We need the pumps.”

A plan to add the pumps was considered back in 2008, but was vetoed by the EPA.

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Warren County, Miss. (WLBT) – Flood weary Eagle Lake residents voice their concerns with Delbert Hosemann. The Secretary of State of Mississippi got a first hand look at what they community is going through.

Hosemann prepared for this meeting with pen, paper and an open ear.

Folks at Eagle Lake sharing stories of how flooding has impacted their homes, roads and livelihoods.

Small stores and shops have closed because of the decline of traffic in the area now.

Also being affected is 16th section land. It is land used by trustee school districts to raise public education funds.

“So there’s 5000 acres I think in Sharkey, about 5000 acres in Issaquena, and another 2000 in batre land that’s on the other side of the levee that we’ve identified right away. We’re still looking further north now to see if there are other damages. Every penny that we raise off those, either for hunting, duck hunting, deer hunting or whatever, or for cutting timber goes to the school districts. Part of the education is paid for by the 16th section,” said Hoseman.

Ann Dahl, and Eagle Lake residents say Muddy Bayou overflowed at 96 and a half feet, and they now have a half hour detour they deal with because of a flooded road.

“All of these numbers, 96, 95, and you think about it would have never gotten any higher than 92. Even Eagle Lake would have been completely saved had those pumps been in place,” said Dahl.

Ann Dahl, a resident has been doing her research on the flooding. She has a home by the water. She says having pumps in the county would have alleviated the flooding issue.

Secretary Hosemann told residents to keep contacting their representatives and other public officials.

He says he’s spoken with the governor about pumps and flooding.

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Greenville, Miss. (WABG) – Current Secretary of State and Lieutenant Governor candidate, Delbert Hosemann made a stop in the Delta this afternoon.

Delbert Hosemann visited Greenville this afternoon to speak at the Greenville Rotary Club Meeting and also stopped at city hall to talk with Senator Derrick Simmons and Mayor Errick Simmons.

Hosemann has been serving as Secretary of State since 2008 and in January announced his running for Lieutenant Governor.

Hosemann sat down with The Delta News to discuss a few of his agenda items as he campaigns around the state.

“You know I hold that baby and I think, where’s he going to work? Who’s he going to work for, who’s going to work with him? So as I go around, I’m looking for an educated workforce. I’m looking to build up Mississippi so he’ll have the same opportunities I had growing up. The same opportunities to go out and fish and see the world and all that other stuff. And have a meaningful job when he’s getting ready to go to work. So I think that’s the most motivating thing for me and the way to do that I think is economic empowerment. I think we go with an educated workforce” says Hosemann as he describes he hope for his grandson, Howard.

Hosemann will be running against Republican candidate Shane Quick and Democrat Jay Hughes.

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Jackson, Miss. (Northside Sun) – After reading your recent article on land bank bills filed in the 2019 legislative session, I wanted to write and offer your readers my perspective.

Following discussions with Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and his staff, I authored the first ever bill (Senate Bill No. 2856) to allow local governments to create land banks to deal with blighted property. I want to thank Mayor Lumumba and Jackson officials for their commitment and research in this effort. Land banks have been successful in other cities and can work here. Improving on our current law, land banks can acquire property, assemble larger tracts for buyers, speed up the resolution of title problems, and receive significant federal funding for clean up.

As chairman of the Senate Public Property Committee, I called a hearing where we heard from experts and private citizens who have worked on this issue for years. We garnered the support of the Mississippi Home Corporation (which has millions in federal funds waiting to be spent for this purpose) and the Mississippi Municipal League. After my bill did not pass out of another committee, we continued our efforts with more meetings and amendments to other bills, as well supporting a local bill sponsored by Rep. Bill Denny. Ultimately, however, we were unsuccessful in passing a bill through the process this year.

Blighted property is a serious problem in Jackson and in other parts of the state. Some of us have been working on this issue for years. I worked at the Secretary of State’s Office (for Dick Molpus and Eric Clark) for 13 years prior to being elected to the State Senate. The office receives land abandoned for non-payment of taxes, many of which are blighted. Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann has made the program better. Together, we worked to pass my legislation to allow for online sales and auctions of tax-forfeited property. The new process has been a success.

– State Senator David Blount

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JACKSON, MS (Mississippi Today) – Mississippi’s state politicians, whether running for election or not, all have opinions in how to deal with filling the shortfall created when the Legislature did not appropriate enough funds during the 2019 session to provide the promised $1,500 annual pay raise for all Mississippi teachers due to a miscalculation by the Mississippi Department of Education.

There has been much discussion of how to fund the shortfall since Mississippi Today reported last week that the Legislature did not provide adequate funding for the pay raise due to miscalculations. Under state law, the more than 31,000 kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers still will receive their raise, but unless the Legislature provides additional money local school districts will be forced to make up the difference. The shortfall could be as much as $15 million.

Both Gov. Phil Bryant and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves essentially say the additional funds can be provided as a deficit appropriation by the Legislature during the 2020 session, which starts in early January. The pay raise goes into effect on July 1, 2019, so as the 2020 session begins it will mark the mid-point of the first year of the salary bump.

Republican candidates for governor: Former Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr., Rep. Robert Foster, R-Hernando and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves

The only problem is this is an election year and in 2020, there will be a new Legislature. Reeves is running for governor and is hoping to succeed Bryant, but there are no guarantees. Bryant is not seeking another office.

Reeves will serve as lieutenant governor for the first two days of the session until his successor is sworn in, and Bryant will be in office for about a week.

Some say waiting until the next session is too long.

“This situation needs to be remedied right now. It absolutely cannot fall to the districts to fix MDE’s mistake and state leadership’s unwillingness to step in immediately,” the Mississippi Association of Educators said in a statement. “Our districts, and our teachers, are asked to pick up the slack where the state refuses to step in time and time again.”

State Rep. Jay Hughes, D-Oxford, who is hoping to succeed Reeves as lieutenant governor, said the easier way to fix the problem might be a short special session.

“Deficit appropriation is another term for fiscal irresponsibility and kicking the can down the road,” Hughes said. “It basically says – ‘let’s let someone else fix our screw up.’ We need a special session to do what should have should have been done right the first time.”

That decision is in the discretion of the governor — Bryant said last week in a statement he would not call a special session.

The governor blamed the Department of Education for providing incorrect information to the legislative leadership on the cost of the pay raise. He said “the taxpayers of Mississippi should not have to fund a special session” because of a mistake by the state agency. He said the agency should take money out of its budget for the pay raise and the Legislature could do a deficit appropriation for the agency during the 2020 session.

As of Monday morning, the Department of Education did not have a comment on how many teachers were affected by this and whether it is possible to address the shortfall using the agency’s budget.

Central District Public Service Commissioner Cecil Brown, the former state fiscal officer and a former key member of the House Appropriations Committee, questioned whether it would be permissible for the agency to take money earmarked by the Legislature for other purposes and direct it to the pay raise.

“They may do it and nobody sues them. But if they did that, they might have to layoff people,” Brown said.

Hughes’ Republican opponent in the race for lieutenant governor, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, called the shortfall “unconscionable.”

“The first order of business in the Senate next year will be to address this issue, with interest, in addition to our annual teacher pay raise bill. I hope MDE will do whatever necessary to ease any burden on districts in the interim and ensure teachers receive the funds they deserve,” Hosemann said.

Among the candidates for governor, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr., who is challenging Reeves in the Republican primary, said “Every teacher is required to be included in the recent pay raise and I hope this situation gets cleared up as soon as possible. Education will be on the top of my agenda in the legislative session in January including my goal for a teacher pay raise.”

State Rep. Robert Foster of DeSoto County, who also is running in the Republican primary, said, “A deficit appropriation may resolve this problem, but better long term planning and prioritization of our budget can prevent this issue in the future. This is a perfect example of why we need a leader with a business background rather than a career politician leading our state the next four to eight years.”

On the Democratic side, Attorney General Jim Hood, who is considered the favorite in the eight-candidate field for governor, said “For too long our teachers have been underpaid thousands less than the Southeastern average. As governor, I will make funding our schools and raising teacher pay a top priority.”

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith, who also is running as a Democrat for governor, said, “A special session may not be cost effective, given the fact that the money has already been appropriated and signed by the governor. It certainly should not be a difficult task, although frustrating to our school districts, to demand proper accounting be done within a reasonable time frame.”

Legislative Democrats who are in a minority in both chambers, proposed that the governor take the money from the state’s rainy day fund to cover the cost of the pay raise.
“We believe this would be the quickest, easiest and most logical action he can take to address the issue,” the Democrats said in a news release.

The Working Cash Stabilization Fund, commonly called rainy day fund, is normally used to address shortfalls when state revenue collections do not meet projections and are not enough to cover the budget passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor.

 

Original Story

Jackson, Miss. (The Clarion Ledger) – As public educators across the state work second, and even third jobs, to make ends meet, Republican and Democratic hopefuls for statewide office are running on platforms of increasing teacher pay.

Although teacher groups have long lobbied in the campaign off season for boosting teacher salaries to the Southeastern average of about $51,000, the issue takes on a renewed sense of urgency in election years. Mississippi teachers on average earn $44,659, according to the state Department of Education.

Gov. Phil Bryant on Tuesday signed a bill increasing teacher pay by $1,500 starting July 1. And most candidates have gone on the record to say, if elected, they’ll push the Legislature for a better deal.

For some teachers the pay raise, coupled with a last-minute $2 million funding increase for the state’s controversial school choice program, has further fractured relationships with Republican leadership that were already fragile due to underfunding of the state’s adequate education formula.

Funding shortfalls also occurred Democratic leadership. But criticism has been more acute against Republican leaders who campaigned against a ballot initiative that sought funding mandates that advocates said could have boosted teacher salaries.

The $1,500 pay raise, in part, even prompted the first talk in decades about a teacher walk out. That idea has effectively cooled, but educators have a strong interest in candidates’ platforms concerning public education.

Here’s what candidates for lieutenant governor and governor — the positions most in line to influence education policy — told the Clarion Ledger about teacher raises.

Lieutenant Governor

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, Republican

“Our teachers are the professionals with whom we trust our children for eight or more hours a day, and their pay should reflect the critical importance of this calling,” Hosemann said in a statement. “We have more work to do on raising our teacher salaries, and we will not just focus on the issue during election years. We also have to review strategies to end the teacher shortage impacting many of our districts. Pay is also part of this equation.”

The Associated Press reported that Hosemann also committed to annual teacher pay raises during an event by the Mississippi Professional Educators.

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Madison, Miss. (Madison County Journal) – Madison Central beat its previous ACT testing record with 154 students having a score of 30 or higher.

School district spokesperson Gene Wright said that this was a historic benchmark for the school and the district at large.

“Madison Central High School has more members in the ACT 30+ Club than ever before, shattering their record with 154 students in grades 10 through 12 scoring 30 or higher on the ACT,” Wright said.

This group makes up more than 20 percent of the Class of 2019, eight of whom scored a 35 or 36 on the test earning STAR Student recognition. One in every 8 students in the three grades is a member of the ACT 30+ Club at Madison Central this year.

The school held a ceremony recognizing the students and their outstanding academic accomplishments on Tuesday in the Madison Central High School Auditorium.

Dignitaries present for the event included Secretary of State Delbert Hoseman, Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler and now former Superintendent Kimber Halliburton. She resigned Wednesday. (See story, page A1.)

Halliburton encouraged the seniors to continue to work hard and take advantage of the opportunities their score would open for them while encouraging the juniors and sophomores to retake the test and seek a higher score.

Hawkins-Butler was next to the stage.

“I could not be more proud of you,” she said before asking the students who had been in the school system through Madison Avenue and Madison Station to raise their hands.

She was met with a flurry of hands from the large group of students seated on the left side of the auditorium.

She went on to tell the story of a young man who stopped by City Hall and asked to have a quick word with the mayor.

“He said, ‘Mayor, you read to me when I was in the second grade and last week you read to my son,’” Hawkins-Butler said.

She said Madison’s success has been due, not to recruiting industry and business, but by “going after families.”

She said she hoped to see these students return their home community one day.

“One day when I am 86 years old,” she said. “I hope you will stop by my office. You are the real reason I have always wanted to be mayor of Madison.”

Hosemann started by asking the students to give their parents and teachers present a round of applause.
“I don’t think when I graduated high school we had 154 students score a 30 or higher on the ACT in the entire state,” Hosemann said.

He went on to talk about his time at Notre Dame and the work it took to graduate despite lackluster grades early on.

“Never let anyone else lower the expectations of what you can achieve. This is a gifted bunch of students and you are only limited by your dreams,” Hosemann said.

He went on to say, “You are the future leaders of our state.”

Three student’s names were drawn at random to receive $250 in scholarship money. Seniors Emma Barham, Lita Li and Thomas left the ceremony $250 richer.

MCHS Principal Sean Brewer ended the ceremony.
‘This is an accomplishment on a national level,” He told the students. “It speaks for itself from sea to shining sea.”

After the event, the students and their parents were treated to a brief reception with snack food and punch during the morning break.

Students also took a picture in the shape of a 30+ in the entrance way to the school.

In the middle of the fray of congratulations, hugs and picture taking, Li, a scholarship recipient who has a score of 32 said she was inspired by her fellow students to seek a better grade.

“Mainly I knew I needed to do good to get into college but then I saw my friends working hard and making good scores and that really started raising the ceiling for me,” Li said. ‘It made me want to work hard to go above and beyond what I thought I could achieve.”

Li said she is attending Mississippi State University in the Fall.

Club members include: Sophomore 30 Plus Club Members: Patricia Bethea, Robert Embry, Matthew Huerkamp, Carson Jones, Matthew Li, Rachel Narbo, Mary Rushton, Hanah Ryu, Jackson Strong, Judith Thomas, Phillip Wright, Albert Xu, Matthew Yin; Junior 30 Plus Club Members: Rania Abdo, Aswin Arunachalam, Tanbir Banipal, Elizabeth Barton, Allie Grace Bell, Conner Bell, Lauren Boykin, Luke Bridges, Grace Brian, Ian Brown, Emma Bryans, Vedanth Buddala, Eric Chen, William Clark, Davis Dear, Aidan Duncan, Drew Dunn, Chance Ferrell, Sam Gaines, Maddie Gall, Ian Garrett, Ethan George, Gage Gourley, Emma Harrington, Kaylee Hood, Maddie Howell, Georgia Ishee, Anna Johnston, Jackson Joyner, William Kalahar, Venkat Kota, Logan Landis, Emerson Liles, Amy Lin, Jordan Little, Amber Grace Luckey, Julie Luke, Sreya Maddali, Kelsey Mayhan, Ashley McGhee, Erin McKee, Maggie McKenzie, Chandler Miller, Mary Grace Nelson, Courtland Nobles, Christopher Ogburn, Ivy Renfroe, Jessica Shoemaker, Muhammad Siddiqui, Brooks Stewart, Brandon Strain, Anna Cate Strong, Andrew Tapscott, Lane Taylor, Abbey Temple, Annie Thomas, Caitlin Thrash, Meghan Thrash, Eren Topaloglu, Emma Grace Trammell, Grayson Wallace, Sophia Wilborn, Miller Widemire, Mary Morgan Williams; Senior 30 Plus Club Members: Macy Agostinelli, Saad Alamgir, Addison Baney, Emma Barham, Lauren Barham, Virginia Barksdale, Christian Berry, Tyler Blaylock, Lee Bowman, Mary Caitlin Boyte, Hayden Butts,, Samantha Caldwell, Courtney Coleman, Kira Cooley, Hannah Cloud, Eugene Crunk, Jackson Day, Mallory Dickey, Stephen Draughn, Katherine Earl, Bennett Estes, Mary Michael Evans, Addison Flasck, Kailyn Gardner, Natalie Gault, Clara Gibbs, Raegan Gourley, Jared Gross, Sarah Hall, Jeb Hatfield, Bonnie Hill, Claire Iupe, Sarah Elizabeth Johns, Garrett Johnson, Daniel Joshua, John Huey Kirk, Billy Joe Lam, Robert Lawson, Lita Li, Henri Kate Long,, Davis Lowry, Haley Manor, Kaelyn Martinez, Abigail McKenzie, Garrett Medlock, Lillian Melvin, Emeree Moncrief, John Paul Moorman, Elle Muirhead, Eric Narbo, Cale Nation, Amy Pang, Haaris Patel, Ryan Phillips, Sean Pooley, Cade Proctor, Macie Railsback, Jace Rasmussen, Ryan Ricchetti, Kathryn Scoggins, Kaitlyn Sills, Taylor Simmons, Carter Slater, Jacob Stanard, Andrew Storey, Sydney Storm, Jessica Styres, Jack Thoms, Tu Truong, John Tucker, Phoebe Waters, Christian Watson, Kaci Wilcox , Bailey Wood, Andrew Zhang, Michael Zhang.

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