JACKSON — Mississippi’s initiative process was created to be complicated. This year, that’s clearer than ever.
The Nov. 3 general election ballot includes two proposed constitutional amendments that deal with school funding. It’s a long section of the ballot, and one that is rife with the potential for voter confusion.
Initiative 42 got on the ballot because more than 100,000 registered voters signed petitions. It would require the state to “provide for the establishment, maintenance and support of an adequate and efficient system of public schools,” and would allow people to file a lawsuit in chancery court if funding falls short.
Measure 42-A was put on the ballot by legislators who have made clear the past several months that they’re trying to kill the citizen-led proposal. It would require the Legislature to “provide for the establishment, maintenance and support of an effective system of free public schools without judicial enforcement.”
The similar wording is one potential point of confusion.
While 42 says the “state” has an obligation to schools, 42-A says the “Legislature” is in charge. Translation: 42 would be a change and 42-A would keep things as they are now. The slightly different wording points to the potential role of the courts.
Several others states, including Texas and Arkansas, have been sued by people who contend legislators have fallen short in funding schools, especially in areas with high concentrations of poverty.
Supporters say Initiative 42 is an effort to force Mississippi to fund a stronger education system to improve the state’s long-term economic prospects. The current education budget formula has been in law since 1997, but it has been fully funded only two years.
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