Better MS Report

Brown releases detailed statement about the Tax Commission’s plans From the Better Mississippi Report JACKSON (Monday, April 11, 2011) – Talk about a possible new building for the Mississippi State Tax Commission has some people scratching their heads. State Rep. Cecil Brown of Jackson offers his take on this issue. Brown provided the Better Mississippi [...]

House, Senate budget negotiators break logjam, reach agreement The Better Mississippi Report: JACKSON (Thursday, March 31, 2011) – With state House and Senate budget negotiators reaching a compromise on a state spending plan for the next fiscal year, the threat of a special session on budgeting has been eliminated. In the long run, that’s great. [...]

Reps. Johnny Stringer, Cecil Brown also talk about state retirement, one-time money Special to the Better Mississippi Report JACKSON (Wednesday, March 30, 2011) – Here is a memo written and distributed today by Reps. Johnny Stringer, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and Cecil Brown, chairman of the House Education Committee, giving an update on [...]

Governor intensifies lobbying efforts Sunday in favor of his lengthy and detrimental funding cuts From the Better Mississippi Report JACKSON (Sunday, March 27, 2011) – Gov. Haley Barbour was at it again today, lobbying hard in favor of funding cuts that would be detrimental to public education, mental health, homestead exemption and other areas. Not [...]

Governor’s cuts would shift funding responsibility from state to local governments From the Better Mississippi Report: JACKSON (Sunday, March 27, 2011) – State House leaders told representatives today they remain at a standstill in budget negotiations with the Senate – locked in a struggle to fund education, fund mental health and avoid an increase in [...]

Presidential campaigning leavesgovernor unable to meet withlawmakers until Wednesday The Better Mississippi Report: JACKSON (Tuesday, March 22, 2011) – Two key House leaders said today they were making major progress with Senate negotiators in crafting a new state budget – until Gov. Haley Barbour threw a last-minute curve. State Reps. Johnny Stringer and Cecil Brown [...]

State Reps. Tyrone Ellis, Cecil Brown say Democrats, Republicans can and will work together to solve critical issues Special to the Better Mississippi Report JACKSON (Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011) – Democratic leaders in the Mississippi Legislature pledged tonight to work with everyone regardless of political party to fund government services in the midst of the [...]

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 [...]

From The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal: House and Senate leaders reached agreement late Friday on a $5.5 billion budget, clearing the way for the Legislature to quickly finish its 2010 session next week. Legislators, who had recessed in late March, will return to the Capitol in Tuesday to take up the budget for the fiscal [...]

JACKSON (Monday, April 12, 2010) – A key state House leader says legislators must fund kindergarten through 12th grade public education at the “highest level possible” despite Mississippi’s severe economic downturn and sluggish tax collections. House Education Committee Chairman Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, said the Legislature likely will not fully fund the Mississippi Adequate Education Program [...]