Infrastructure and education appeared to be key areas of concern for members of the Columbus Lowndes Chamber of Commerce during Friday’s legislative forum at Lion Hills Center.
For the third year in a row, Mississippi legislators answered questions from chamber members about the work done in the legislative session — questions which ranged from issues such as the “brain drain” of college graduates leaving Mississippi and the state lottery, which was passed in a special session in August, to legislation passed to aid military families in the state and the bond funds that were awarded to local projects.
But the first question — what are the best options to address the state’s aging and, in some cases, crumbling road and bridges — set the tone. The topic was raised several times throughout the 1 1/2-hour event.
“We had a special session that addressed that issue,” said Rep. Gary Chism (R, Columbus) in response to the question. “We passed legislation for internet sales tax. That will raise $50 million for cities and counties every year. The expected lottery income is around $100 million and the first $80 million will go to statewide roads and bridges.”
But not all legislators at the luncheon — a list which included Chism, Sen. Angela Turner-Ford (D, West Point), Sen. Chuck Younger (R, Columbus), Rep. Kabir Karriem (D, Columbus), Rep. Jeff Smith (R, Columbus), Rep. Cheikh Taylor (D, Starkville), and Rep. Carl Mickens (D, Brooksville) — agreed the legislation was adequate to solve the issue.
In 2014, the Mississippi Economic Council estimated it would cost $3.75 billion to solve the state’s infrastructure issues.
“What we have done is not adequate,” Turner-Ford said. “My fear is that we are not putting ourselves in a position to fund what needs to be funded. It’s not just infrastructure, either. We need to generate more revenue if we are going to address these needs.”
Asked why the Legislature declined to raise Mississippi’s gasoline tax to help fund infrastructure, Younger said it was a missed opportunity.
“I personally have always been for a consumption tax. Some people call it a user tax,” he said. “Our tax should be in line with the states around us. Our tax is lower than those states. I think raising it to meet what other states are collecting is a good idea. It’s the fairest way, in my opinion.”
Education and the recently passed $1,500 teacher pay raise were issues that emerged in several other questions.
“First, we passed a budget that provides $2-billion plus for education,” Smith said. “We also raised teacher pay, which was $63 million. We were asked to provide $4,000 raises, which we just couldn’t do. But we do hope to raise teacher pay by $1,000 or $1,500 ever year for four consecutive years to get the pay up to the (Southeast) average.”
But Karriem suggested the recent education funding may be more about election-year posturing that a real commitment.
“Everybody says education is a priority,” Karriem said. “But in the years I’ve been in the Legislature, I don’t think it really is, based on what I’ve seen. When you look at some of the legislation that has been passed, then look at some very good bills that never make it out of committee, it’s fair to ask how committed the Legislature really is.”
Taylor said education in the state also suffers by not focusing on how to train students for a changing job market, and particularly for jobs in technology fields.
“Go to Silicon Valley in California,” he said. “What are the schools teaching there? They’re teaching students for the jobs that are there, for the next generation of high-tech employees. We should be thinking in those terms too. What are the needs? Where are the jobs? Are we preparing our students for that? We’ve got a long way to go, I think.”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
