Jay Hughes: New MS Bills for the 2017 Legislative Session – My Bills on Public Education and Transparency

“If educated, our people are our greatest asset. If uneducated, they are our greatest liability.” Mr. Jack Reed.

EDUCATION: STANDARDIZED TESTING: Switch from Standardized Testing ($122 Million Contract) to benchmark testing. High-stakes standardized testing has hijacked up to 34 days of classroom instructional time, eliminated recesses, has teachers and students stressed to the point of throwing up, and prevents teachers from teaching beyond the test. We are simply doing more testing than teaching. Teachers are trained and educated professionals. They know how best to teach each individual student the best, if the politicians and test company lobbyist would get out of the way.

EDUCATION: SCHOOL SUPPLIES TAX HOLIDAY: In the last weekend of July, parents and guardians could purchase school supplies and clothing in retail stores located in Mississippi. We do it for guns and ammunition, yet our families have to leave and go to neighboring states to take advantage of their tax holidays. Keeping those dollars here is good for families and MS businesses.

HEALTH CARE: RESTORE FUNDING TO EMERGENCY MEDICINE SERVICES AND TRAUMA SERVICES. Leadership swept $9 Million from the special account into the general fund last year to cover tax cuts. Now we are watching EMS & Trauma go from First to Worst.

TRANSPARENCY: GIFTS & LOAN GUARANTIES– (Posted on that yesterday).

TRANSPARENCY: TERM LIMITS: Just as the Governor and Lt. Governor are limited to two terms, the same term limits should apply to the Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer and all Senators and Representatives. We would all be better served if people voted their conscious, instead of worrying about being re-elected.

TRANSPARENCY: AUDIO RECORD OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS: The staff shall record by electronic audio and preserve for public record all meetings of regular, special, interim or standing committees. In 2017, there is simply no reason, cost or complication that would prevent recording each committee meeting. In a free society, transparency is the government’s obligation to share information with its citizens. Only so many people can cram into a little committee room, in Jackson, while most people are at work trying to make ends meet. That doesn’t mean they don’t care what we are doing and how it will impact their lives.

TRANSPARENCY: PUBLIC EMAILS AND CALENDARS: The email addresses of elected officials in the capitol building are owned by the people, paid for by the people, on the servers of the people, and deal with the laws and money of the people. There is no legitimate reason that emails on public email addresses should not be preserved and made available to the public on a proper FOIA request. [I thought of naming this the Hillary Bill, since that it was made clear that public emails should be public]. This is true for public calendars of statewide elected officials, after the events have occurred. Too much business of the people happens without the people knowing about it, or who is really making the decisions.

Thoughts, comments and input are welcome . . . .


Jay HughesOxford lawyer Jay Hughes serves the 12th District in the Mississippi House of Representatives. He can be contacted at jayfordistrict12@gmail.com.

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