House Education Chair: Public Schools Need $98 Million in Stimulus Funds

REP. CECIL BROWN

Cecil Brown says opponents do not understand how the money works

From the Better Mississippi Report

JACKSON (Monday, Aug. 30, 2010) – The chairman of the state House Education Committee says he doesn’t understand why anyone would oppose $98 million in federal stimulus money Mississippi expects to receive for public education.

Rep. Cecil Brown said the money will help school districts pay salaries for teachers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and other employees. Brown said opponents like state Sen. Alan Nunnelee, chairman of the budget-writing Senate Appropriations Committee, don’t understand how the money works.

“Congress paid for this by reducing other expenditures,” said Brown, D-Jackson, and a state House member since 2000. “That’s how they got the bill passed. So, anybody that says that we are borrowing this money is just sadly misinformed about that.

“If Mississippi for some reason was able to reject the money – which, by the way, we can’t – but even if we were able to reject the money, that money simply would go to other states. So, it’s coming from the federal government to somebody. And it seems to me if it’s going to come to somebody, it ought to come to us.”

Nunnelee, R-Tupelo, told The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal last week that the federal stimulus bill is a “publicity stunt.” He said the most important thing “we can do for school children is to not saddle them with massive debt, which is what we’re doing.”

Nunnelee, who is running for the 1st Congressional District U.S. House seat against incumbent Democrat Travis Childers, told The Journal that the 2010-2011 academic year already has started – which proves school districts were capable of operating without the funds.

Brown talked about the federal stimulus funds and other education issues in an interview featured in Episode 8 of the “Better Mississippi Report” Internet radio podcast – which was released today.

You can listen to the podcast by using the media player in the column on the right of this Web page. You also can download the entire podcast – as well as other “Better Mississippi Report” podcasts – by clicking here to visit the podcast archive.

Mississippi public school funding took a hit in the 2010 legislative session as the state struggled through a deep economic recession. Brown said he sees another difficult budget year when lawmakers return to Jackson in January for the 2011 legislative session.

“To be honest with you, I don’t see next year being much better,” Brown said. “The budget situation is tough. This legislative session will be at least as difficult in 2011. It may be more difficult. It’s going to be pretty rough.”


The Better Mississippi Group, an independent, non-partisan business based in Jackson, is dedicated to improving the state of Mississippi by encouraging good public policy; supporting issues vital to improving the state’s quality of life; and encouraging effective, forward-thinking elected leadership.