Jackson Free Press

Mississippi Republicans in the Legislature have said they want to ram charter-school legislation through as quickly as possible, and so far they're on track to accomplish just that.

The House and Senate each passed their own versions of a charter-school expansion bill with lightning speed in the past week.

As of press time Tuesday, the full House had not taken up the measure. When it does, it will be the first time the House has debated charter schools.

In debating the Senate bill, Hob Bryan, D-Amory, quipped that he debated offering an amendment to change every instance of charter school to "council school," referring to private all-white academies that the racist Citizens Council established in the 1960s and '70s so their kids would not have to attend integrated schools.

"What happens to the students in the public schools that don't go to the charter schools? They're isolated, not by their choosing but by the exodus of everyone else from the public schools," Bryan said.

The Senate version, SB 2189, allows charter schools across the state. In A- and B-rated school districts, an organization seeking a charter would need approval from the local school board. In C, D and F school districts, the charter school could bypass the local board and go straight to the authorizer, made up of appointees by the governor, lieutenant governor and state public-school superintendent.

Under the provisions of the legislation, students can cross school-district lines to attend a charter school, and the per-pupil government funding would follow the student to the charter school.

Republicans have tried to allay concerns about the proliferation of charter schools by saying that few students will wind up going to charters. Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, said the "infinitesimal numbers" of students who would reap any benefit from going to charter schools was one of the reasons he voted against the measure.

"Don't tell us that you're transforming education in the state of Mississippi with a bill that affects 1 percent of the children in Mississippi, because you're not," Blount said.

Bryant on Defense

Gov. Phil Bryant is saluting Mississippi soldiers, who often have a difficult time finding work when they return from war. Compared to the national unemployment rate of 7.8 percent, post-9/11 veterans had a December unemployment rate of 10.8 percent, up from 10 percent in November 2012, the Army Times reported earlier this month.

"It is imperative that we take time to honor the service and sacrifices made by our state's servicemen and servicewomen and their families. It is especially important for us to provide jobs for the state's veterans," Bryant said during a Capitol press conference.

More than 28,000 Mississippi soldiers have served since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. In signing a proclamation to make 2013 the year to hire Mississippi veterans, Bryant also announced a Mississippi Department of Employment Security program to post jobs, screen applicants and refer veterans to employers at no cost.

Bryant also proposed legislation that would put professional license transfers for spouses of returning veterans on a fast track. Federal law also gives employers who hire out-of-work veterans tax credits of up to $9,600.

The day before Bryant issued his proclamation, Walmart announced the company would hire up to 100,000 returning vets in the next five years.

SNL Takes Aim

Gov. Bryant spent a lot of time shooting his mouth off about guns last week. Most notably, Bryant's statement that criminals would circumvent gun laws by buying weapons from the "Soviet Union" became an Internet punch line because the USSR broke apart in 1991.

Despite indicating the existence of a state that failed more than two decades ago, Bryant made it clear that he doesn't want Mississippi to recognize the authority of our own federal government.

Before President Obama officially released his recommendations for a new round of gun restrictions that include renewing the ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and tighter background checks, Bryant asked lawmakers to draft legislation to defy federal law.

The result was a bill from Rep. Chris Brown, R-Aberdeen, titled the Mississippi Firearms Freedom Act, which exempts federal regulation of Mississippi's robust intrastate gun industry. Ironically, the bill itself places limits on gun ownership.

According to the bill, the law would not apply to firearms that require more than one person to carry and use, have a bore diameter bigger than 1.5 inches or a gun that shoots two or more bullets with one trigger pull.

As a result, the writers at Saturday Night Live had a little fun at Mississippi's expense over the weekend, questioning whether the Mississippi Legislature had the authority to override federal law since the body is comprised, according to Weekend Update anchor Seth Meyers, of "just 30 hissing possums in a barn."

Comment at www.jfp.ms. Contact R.L. Nave at [email protected].