Skip to content
Sections
  • Obituaries
  • eEdition
  • Popular Content
  • Submit a Tip
Dispatch Mobile Logo
Share
Subscribe
Login
LoginSubscribe
March 24, 2023
  • QUICK LINKS
  • Obituaries
  • eEdition
  • Popular Content
  • Submit a Tip
  • News
  • Columbus & Lowndes County
  • Starkville & Oktibbeha County
  • West Point & Clay County
  • Area
  • State
  • National
  • Business
  • Sports
  • High School Sports
  • College Sports
  • Local Columns
  • eEdition
  • Opinions
  • Local Columns
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Roses & Thorns
  • Dispatch Editorials
  • Obituaries
  • Lifestyles
  • Columns
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Transitions & Announcements
  • Community
  • Religion
  • Classifieds
  • Photo Galleries
  • Public Records
  • Building Permits
  • Marriages & Divorces
March 24, 2023
Dispatch Logo

Open eyes, open minds.

Home » News » Columbus & Lowndes County » Gunn rallies against Initiative 42

Gunn rallies against Initiative 42

By Alex Holloway • October 21, 2015

 • 3 mins to read

Gunn rallies against Initiative 42
Philip Gunn, the speaker of Mississippi’s House of Representatives, chats with Roger Burlingame, Jennings Cox, Trip Hairston and Chances Laws follow a talk he gave at the Columbus Rotary Club on Tuesday. Photo by: Birney Imes/Dispatch Staff

Philip Gunn said he takes offense when people say Mississippi’s leaders aren’t education-minded.

The speaker of Mississippi’s House of Representatives visited the Columbus Rotary Club to rally support against Initiative 42.

Initiative 42, along with its counterpart, 42A, will go before voters in the Nov. 3 general election.

Initiative 42 would require the state to fund an “adequate and efficient system of free public schools,” according to the funding formula of the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. The initiative would also give chancery courts the power to enforce the state doing so.

Opponents to the measure in the state Legislature have put forth an alternate measure, 42A, which would require lawmakers to support an “effective system of free public schools,” but with no judicial oversight.

Gunn decried the claim that the state Legislature does not put enough funding into education. During his presentation Tuesday, he asked the audience how much of the state’s budget they would be comfortable with allotting to K-12 education. Most agreed with about 15-25 percent.

Gunn said legislators appropriate 40-45 percent of the state’s budget to K-12 schools. With funding for the state’s colleges and universities, the figure jumps to more than 50 percent and including Medicaid spending pushed the total to 76 percent. Gunn said that left legislators with just 24 percent of the budget to fund the rest of the state’s needs.

“This year, we gave education at $2.5 billion,” he said. “That is the largest amount of money that public education has ever received in the history of our state. Over the last four years under Republican leadership, we’ve given them $9.5 billion. That is the largest amount in a term ever in the history of our state.”

Increasing education spending could lead to cuts in other areas, from universities and the department of transportation, to cuts to the state Department of Corrections, Gunn said. He said the only other option to deal with the heightened spending would be to increase taxes, which state Republican leadership will not allow.

Gunn said Initiative 42’s proponents and media have wrongly framed the issue as a matter of school funding. Rather, he said, Initiative 42 is about a struggle to determine who will make decisions about the state’s education system — the people, who he said act through elected legislators, or judges.

Gunn went on to point out that any lawsuits filed against the state as a result of Initiative would have to go through chancery court in Hinds County, as it houses Mississippi’s seat of government.

“All of it is about education decision — policy and funding,” Gunn said. “What if this judge decides that the curriculum that you’re using in your school system is not adequate?”

Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.

Columbus Rotary Initiative 42 Philip Gunn

You can help your community

Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.

Subscribe

READER FAVORITES

  • Goings on with Grant: New fresh market and butcher shop opening in Caledonia

    By Grant McLaughlin • 16 hours ago

  • After son’s suicide, father raises awareness of sextortion, social media dangers

    By Jessica Lindsey • 2 days ago

  • MSU choral professor charged with embezzling $39,000

    By Abigail Sipe Rochester • 16 hours ago

  • Making a difference has been driving factor in Baptist’s new CEO

    By Grant McLaughlin • 2 days ago


Popular

Goings on with Grant: New fresh market and butcher shop opening in Caledonia

March 23, 2023

After son’s suicide, father raises awareness of sextortion, social media dangers

March 22, 2023

Making a difference has been driving factor in Baptist’s new CEO

March 22, 2023

MSU choral professor charged with embezzling $39,000

March 23, 2023



On This Day 2022

Southeast Arkansas weekly faces closure as owners retire

By Zack Plair

Featured Podcast

The C Dispatch Podcast

Sections

  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyles
  • Obituaries

Info

  • About
  • Contact
  • Submit a Tip
  • Terms & Service
  • Popular Content

Contact

Main Switchboard:

(662) 328-2424

Physical Address:

516 Main Street
Columbus, MS 39701

Mailing Address:

PO Box 511
Columbus, MS 39701

cdispatch.com © 2023 – The Commerical Dispatch

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT