○●○RED ALERT●○●: VOUCHERS & TAX CUTS for Mississippi? No no no!
The Mississippi Senate Finance Committee has passed amended versions of two dangerous bills that will go to the full Senate for floor votes today.
HB531, the income tax cut bill, would slash $439-million from the state budget every year when fully phased in.
HB1687 would allow millions in tax credits for donations to private schools, an end run that is, effectively, a voucher bill hiding in a statute intended to help children in foster care.
Legislators claim that they cannot afford to fully fund our public schools (underfunded this year by $272-million) and that they cannot afford to bring teacher pay to the Southeastern average. It is unconscionable that they would intentionally reduce revenue and divert millions of tax dollars to private schools while leaving public school children underfunded and teachers underpaid.
Ask senators to VOTE NO on HB 531 & HB 1687.
Capitol: 601.359.3770
Find more contact info: https://msparentscampaign.org/legislators-by-school.../...
Tell Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann that we want public schools fully funded and teachers paid at the Southeastern average - not tax cuts or vouchers!
Lt. Gov. Hosemann: 601.359.3200
Also today, the House rammed another disastrous income tax amendment through committee and took it straight to a floor vote where it passed 83-33. That amended bill, SB3164, would eliminate Mississippi income tax, removing $700-million from state revenue in just the first year.
When the Kansas Legislature eliminated its income tax, the result was catastrophic. State revenue plummeted, causing:
• 9 rounds of state budget cuts in 4 years
• decimation of public services, especially public schools
• 3 credit downgrades
• lowest-in-region economic indicators (job growth, unemployment, GDP, etc.)
• "an ongoing atmosphere of fiscal crisis" - The Atlantic
• a furious electorate, resulting in reversal of the tax cut and eventual restoration of the 3-bracket income tax
Call senators right away and ask for NO votes on HB 531 and HB 1687. Ask family and friends to call, too. Our teachers and children are counting on us, and together, we've got this!
Original source can be found here.
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