Priority Bills

Each year, The Parents' Campaign closely monitors and takes a position on several education bills. Below are the priority bills for the 2011 legislative session.

HOUSE BILL 1494

Provides level funding for all of K-12 for Fiscal Year 2012, including the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP) and the National Board Certified Teacher program. Fully funds the Chickasaw Cession interest payment. Funding is $25-million above the Legislative Budget Recommendation, which includes a $16-million increase in the cost to provide state retirement and $9-million in flow-through funding for other agencies and programs.

  • Referred to House Appropriations Committee, 2/15/2011
  • Passed Committee, 2/15/2011
  • Read the Third Time, 2/15/2011
  • *Passed House, 2/16/2011
  • Transmitted to Senate, 2/17/2011
  • Referred to Senate Appropriations Committee, 2/21/2011
  • Passed Senate Appropriations Committee as Amended to reduce total K-12 funding by $81-million, $65-million of which was from MAEP, 3/8/2011
  • **Amended to add $15-million to MAEP funding, 3/9/2011
  • ***Senate Appropriations Committee Amendment to reduce total K-12 funding by $81-million fails on vote by full Senate, 3/9/2011
  • Referred to Conference Committee, 3/9/2011
  • House Conferees Named: Stringer, Brown, Straughter, 3/16/2011
  • Senate Conferees Named: Carmichael, Davis, Turner, 3/18/2011
  • Suspend from Deadline by HC 145, 3/31/2011
  • Conference Report Filed, 4/4/2011
  • ****Conference Report Adopted by House and Senate, 4/4/2011
  • Enrolled Bill Signed, 4/12/2011
  • Approved by Governor, 4/26/2011

*To see the House vote on this priority bill, click here.

**To see amendment, click here.

***To see the Senate vote on this priority bill, click here.

****The conference report funds all of K-12 at $14-million below this year's level, including a $5.5-million cut to the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. All of the $5.5-million cut to MAEP will come from the high growth formula. Additionally, all school districts will lose most of their ad valorem tax reduction. That appropriation is reduced by an additional $6-million, leaving only $2-million in the ad valorem tax reduction line item, a move that is likely to cause local tax increases. The additional $2.5-million in cuts to K-12 are to line items that do not have a direct impact on school budgets. To read conference report, click here.