This week in politics: School choice bills return for second round in MS House
The Mississippi House of Representatives has for the second-year advanced bills that would increase the amount of taxpayer cash available for families to spend on private schools.
On Wednesday, the House passed House Bill 1902, 1903 and 1894, containing code sections of state law relating to the Children's Promise Act, a multi-million-dollar tax credit program allowing parents to collectively receive $9 million in tax breaks for sending their children to private schools.
The Children's Promise Act, first passed in 2019, has been used as a tax credit program for families to get back money they pay to "charitable organizations." House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, told the Clarion Ledger the program's current funding limit is inadequate.
"It's a priority of mine," he said. "The need and demand for this outpaces the allowance of credits, and other tax credit programs are not being fully utilized."
HB 1902 would take unused tax credits away from other programs and place them with the Children's Promise Act. HB 1903 would increase the amount of money the program receives in total each year from $9 million to $16 million for families to receive tax breaks.
The other piece of the puzzle is HB 1894, which at first glance looks only to be a state bond issuance bill.
Within it lies the Children's Promise Act. When Lamar introduced the legislation to his committee, he made no mention of the portion that included tax dollar spending on private schools. The bill passed committee without any opposition.
"It is a little bit frustrating… It would be helpful to the whole House if (Lamar) would give us more time and a little bit more headway in terms of being able to understand what's in the bills," Minority Leader Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, said.
For years, similar tactics have been used to get legislation through the Capitol. Lamar's most recent was Smith Wills Stadium, which transferred from Jackson's ownership to the state via a land conveyance bill passed in 2024. Jackson delegates later said Lamar made no direct mention of the bill's intent when presenting it.
Senate Education Chairman Dennis DeBar, R-Leakesville, has been on the record for years as opposing legislation that increases public funding for private schools.
First 2025 School choice effort dies: MS House Speaker says school choice bill doesn't have consensus among House GOP. See why
On Thursday, independent pharmacists gathered at the Capitol to urge lawmakers to pass meaningful reform on Pharmacy Benefit Managers, the pharmaceutical middlemen who often control both drug prices on consumers and the amount of money pharmacists can make on prescriptions.
"Independent pharmacies are often reimbursed less than the acquisition cost of medications," a press release on the press conference stated. "Furthermore, an independent audit found that chain drug stores and other PBM affiliates are paid eight times more than your hometown, independent pharmacy. PBM's steer patients to mail order or big box stores, killing small, independently owned pharmacies. This practice hurts communities and limits access to care."
School choice moved up via in-house rule School choice in MS House lives by in-house rule, not Democratic principle. See details
PBM issues: Independent pharmacists could risk closure by 2026 in Mississippi. Read why
Both the House and Senate have passed legislation to increase transparency and accountability for the business that PBMs do in Mississippi.
In 2024, the Clarion Ledger identified that independent pharmacists on whole faced closures within the next few years if nothing was done to address what they described as unfair PBM business practices.
House Speaker Jason White said in a press release this week he is committed to ensuring some transparency and accountability is put on PBMs.
On Tuesday, Lamar told the Clarion Ledger that if push comes to shove, he would be happy if the governor calls a special session to fully eliminate the state income tax.
Both the House and Senate have passed bills to dramatically cut taxes in some areas and raise them in others. One major difference between the chambers' approach is that the House plan seeks to fully eliminate the income tax while the Senate seeks to only reduce it to 2.99%.
Tax cuts: Senate passes tax cut plan. See what it does
For several weeks, rumors have been circulating that Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is mulling whether to call a special session to force the Senate to negotiate an income tax elimination. Reeves has gone on the record for being largely in support of the House plan.
Lamar said he and his colleagues are dead set on full elimination, and if the Senate doesn't like it, he's happy with suspending all other legislative business until some sort of agreement is made.
"I fully support the governor calling special session to highlight the need to eliminate our income tax for the future of Mississippi," Lamar said.
Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MS politics: School choice bills advanced by State House again
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How Trump's ‘big beautiful bill' could wreck Utah's groundbreaking AI laws
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful' budget package could derail the state's groundbreaking artificial intelligence laws unless it is changed. The 1,000-page bill that passed the House last month includes a 10-year prohibition on AI regulations. An updated Senate version removed the all-out ban but conditioned $500 million in AI infrastructure grants on states pausing enforcement of AI laws. Behind these provisions is a desire by some lawmakers to prevent a nationwide patchwork of AI regulations that hampers innovation amid competition with China. But Cox, and Utah's top tech policymakers, said the approach taken by Trump's bill interferes with the state's right to react to rapidly evolving technologies. 'Our hope is that the last version of this bill that passes, whatever that looks like, will allow for the smart type of regulation that we're doing in Utah, and prevent the bad kind of regulation that would stop AI from reaching its fullest potential,' Cox said Tuesday during a monthly PBS broadcast. Utah has been recognized around the world for having the 'first and smartest of the AI regulations that have been proposed,' according to Cox. These policies include bills that create a state-run AI policy lab, clarify consumer protection liability for AI and require AI disclosures in industries like finance and mental health. The governor said that multiple members of the U.S. House have told his team that they were not aware of the AI moratorium when they voted on the bill. Members of the White House and Senate have also said that they don't want the 'BBB bill' to eliminate Utah's law, Cox said. 'AI companies actually support what we're doing because they recognize that this is the right way to do AI regulation as opposed to just piecemeal,' Cox said. Cox agreed that 'a hodgepodge' of AI laws around the country would cause the U.S. to 'fall behind and we would lose this global race that is happening right now.' But he said a moratorium on AI policy shouldn't come at the expense of Utah's novel approach which doesn't actually tell AI companies how they can develop their models. Utah Rep. Doug Fiefia, R-Herriman, said the problem goes beyond counterproductive policy. It targets the foundation of states rights that has allowed Utah to lead out on so many issues, according to Fiefia, a freshman lawmaker who previously worked at Google. 'States are laboratories for innovation when it comes to policy, and I believe that the federal government should not overreach on this process and allow it to work,' Fiefia said. 'We will not give over our control because the federal government believes that it's the right thing to do to win this race.' On Tuesday, Utah House legislative leadership, and 62 state senators and representatives, sent a letter authored by Fiefia to Utah's congressional delegation arguing that the moratorium hindered 'Utah's nationally recognized efforts to strike the right balance between innovation and consumer protection.' Not only would the moratorium harm state efforts to legislate guardrails, it would also hurt businesses that are using AI responsibly by allowing their competitors to engage in unethical behavior, according to Fiefia. States have shown they are more nimble than the federal government when they need to adapt to change, Fiefia said. And this is the approach Fiefia believes Utah has demonstrated in opening up legal pathways for innovation while updating the law for the threats posed by AI. 'Just because we want to move fast in this global arms race of AI doesn't mean we can't do so with a seat belt,' Fiefia said. 'I believe that we can both win this AI race, but also doing it in a thoughtful and meaningful way.' The AI moratorium faces procedural hurdles in addition to ideological pushback. Utah Sen. Kirk Cullimore, R-Sandy, pointed out that reconciliation bills are meant only to amend the annual budget and not make substantive policy shifts. Some senators have alleged that the AI moratorium does not comply with the 'Byrd Rule,' a procedural requirement that prohibits 'nonbudgetary' additions during the budget 'reconciliation' process. Cullimore, who was the sponsor behind most of Utah's AI legislation, was in Washington, D.C., last week, speaking with members of the House Commerce Committee, which oversaw the inclusion of the AI moratorium provisions. The intentions behind the moratorium, Cullimore said, were to prevent states from implementing what are called 'foundational regulations' that restrict the kind of technology AI companies can develop. Utah's laws do not do this, according to Cullimore, who also signed Fiefia's letter, but they would still be sidelined by the 'big beautiful bill' even if the moratorium is replaced by the conditioned federal funding. 'I think the drafting of the moratorium was so broad that it potentially encompassed all of that stuff,' he said. 'So I hope that that we can refine the text a little bit, and then if they want to put those conditions in on foundational regulation, I think that'd be appropriate.'
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Legislation could help speed air cargo shipments
WASHINGTON — Legislation introduced in the House and Senate could help speed air cargo shipments through the supply chain by using a new funding incentive for surface transportation projects. The Don't Miss Your Flight Act, introduced last week in the House by U.S. Reps. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn. and David Kustoff, R-Tenn. and in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., would use existing federal funding to create an incentive for surface transportation projects at and within five miles of a public airport. 'We've all been there – you're rushing to the airport but then get stuck in traffic outside while worrying that your flight is going to take off without you,' Duckworth said in a press statement. 'Airports like Chicago O'Hare and so many others are building to keep up with the growing passenger demand, but our surface transportation leading into and out of our airports needs to keep pace.' In addition to passenger benefits, Kustoff emphasized benefits to cargo shipments as well.'It is imperative that shipments can get in and out of Memphis quickly and effectively,' he said. 'The Don't Miss Your Flight Act is critical legislation that will ensure federal funding is used to modify surface transportation around our nation's busiest airports.' Cohen added that as the nation's busiest cargo airport, Memphis International Airport 'is at the confluence of river, rail and highway circuits we call 'America's Distribution Center',' he said. 'Updates to the ground infrastructure in Memphis and around the country through grants authorized under the Don't Miss Your Flight Act will modernize and improve the air traveler's experience.' Memphis International Airport is the third busiest cargo airport in the world, behind airports in Hong Kong and Shanghai, according to the latest ranking by Airports Council International. FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX), headquartered in Memphis, is the airport's largest cargo operator, operating approximately 400 flights per day, according to the airport. The bill's language states that a project eligible for grant funds under the legislation is a project that:Connects to a public airport. Makes improvements on land that is on or within five miles of that public airport. Reduces congestion, expands capacity, provides access to under-connected areas, or rehabilitates roadway, rail, or transit infrastructure, including bridges, tunnels, and rolling stock. Airlines lower air cargo forecast amid escalating trade war FedEx converts parcel freighter to heavy cargo operation Just steal it: Why carriers avoid Memphis Click for more FreightWaves articles by John Gallagher. The post Legislation could help speed air cargo shipments appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cramer: GOP has no ‘stomach' for Medicare changes in Trump megabill
Senate Republicans appear less likely to try to make changes to Medicare Advantage as part of their massive tax and spending bill, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said Wednesday. Cramer raised the idea of targeting Medicare Advantage for additional savings last week after a closed-door caucus meeting, saying the program is ideal for reform because it is rife with waste, fraud and abuse. The House-passed bill would cut more than $800 billion from Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, but some GOP lawmakers argue that other mandatory spending programs, such as Medicare, should also be reviewed for 'waste' to further reduce the cost of the bill. But Medicare has long been considered a political third rail, and Cramer on Wednesday said he doesn't think Republicans want to try to go near it — even though Medicare Advantage changes have bipartisan support. 'I don't think there's a stomach for it. I think that the president doesn't want to touch Medicare,' Cramer said. When Republicans first floated the idea of Medicare changes last week, Senate Democrats jumped to open a new line of attack. Politically, it didn't matter that Republicans were discussing bipartisan legislation sponsored by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) that would save billions of dollars by reducing overpayments to private Medicare Advantage plans. The legislation would crack down on a practice called 'upcoding' through which insurers classify patients as sicker so the government will reimburse them at a higher rate. Cramer noted it's difficult for members to try to talk about the changes. 'To be honest, I'm the only one I know that talks about it,' Cramer said. 'I just don't know how we get to where we want to get without going after some of the bigger drivers of the debt and deficit.' Senate Republicans will be briefed by Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) on Wednesday afternoon, ahead of the release of legislative text. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
