Vote Yes on 42

​A major controversial topic is whether or not to vote for initiative measure 42 and whether to vote for 42 or 42 alternative. Initiative measure 42 requires the state to provide support for public schools. The chancery courts will have the responsibility to enforce this initiative. Currently, the Legislature is in charge of funding public schools. Mississippi schools are not being adequately funded. Initiative measure 42 A continues to give the Legislature the power to control funds. Initiative 42 is the only way for change. By voting for 42, you are voting for better teachers, better buses, better textbooks, and an overall better education for the children in Mississippi.

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Vote No on 42

For the past few months, many figures in public education have been expressing their opinions on an amendment to the Mississippi state constitution known as Initiative 42. The basis of this amendment is to force the state to adequately fund all public and charter schools in Mississippi, something which has only occured two times in the past 20 years.
Education is an important part of any state, or even country, but especially to Mississippi. Our state ranks worst in the nation, and many believe that the increase of funding that Initiative 42 promises is just what we need to go up a few notches. However, Mississippi will first need to get the money. To fund all public schools to the point that is specified in the Initiative, Mississippi will need to spend 265 million dollars that they don’t currently have, and for many, that is the main issue. Although the official document claims that there will be no change in funding for state issues, nor will there be a tax increase. But this is due to the plan for Mississippi to keep up its current spending for seven years, and then use all of the excess money to fund schools. This seems like a very good plan on paper, but in practice it will fail miserably. The average spending for Mississippi increases by around 7 percent each year, around 35 million dollars. As one can guess, the state will be unable to keep its spending at current levels, effectively making this plan impossible to enact.
Don’t get me wrong, Initiative 42 has  the right idea, but it will not work in its current state. It is too poorly written, and does not address all of the possible problems that may arise from its passing. The amendment should be voted down, revised, and then brought back up in a few years, hopefully with a strong plan that gives us an effective way to garner up the funds to teach our children to the best degree possible.

For more reasons to vote No for 42 click here