3/7/25 Legislative Update

Tuesday, March 4, was the deadline for committees to pass general bills that originated in the other chamber. Any general bill not passed by the other chamber’s committee(s) by Tuesday night’s deadline died on the calendar. As reflected on our 3/6/25 bill tracking spreadsheet, numerous bills died Tuesday night, including most of the school choice bills. Next Wednesday, March 12, is the floor deadline for each chamber to act on general bills that originated in the other chamber and survived Tuesday night’s committee deadline.

Both the House and Senate mourned Tuesday’s death of former Speaker Pro Tempore Robert Clark. Rep. Clark was our state’s first black lawmaker elected to the legislature since Reconstruction. He served in the Mississippi House for 36 years and served as chairman of the House Education Committee and Speaker Pro Tempore of the House before his retirement.

Following Tuesday night’s deadline and the death of numerous school choice bills in the Senate, the Center for Public Policy criticized Senate leaders and said school choice proponents are going to work throughout the session to pass school choice. It is critical that public school supporters continue to contact their representative and senator, as well as Lt. Governor Hosemann (601-359-3200) and Speaker Jason White (601-359-3300), to voice their opposition to school choice and vouchers, as a threat exists until the end of the legislative session for choice and/or voucher language to be inserted into legislation. The immediate need is for you to contact your representative and ask him/her to remove HB 1435’s school choice language from SB 2618 when SB 2618 is brought up for a floor vote in the House.

School choice proponents believe Mississippi should adopt choice because surrounding states have done so. School choice in other states has proven to be an academic failure, as NAEP scores have dropped and state budgets have been decimated. Other states are trying to replicate our recent educational results and there is no need for us to follow the dismal school choice results in other states.

MPE has received several inquiries as to what action needs to be taken on HB 1902 and HB 1903 that decrease state revenues by increasing tax credits the state may award via the Children’s Promise Act for donations to private schools. Both bills have been referred to the Senate Finance Committee. You may leave a message for Senator Josh Harkins, Chairman of Senate Finance, at 601-359-2395 or email him at jharkins@senate.ms.gov.