Education Ballot Explained

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI-TV) — More money for public schools.

Everyone wants students, teachers and schools to have more money. But where will the money come from and who will be in charge of handing out the funds?

That question is at the heart of what voters in Mississippi are being asked to consider in November.

Even people who really understand the two choices will agree it’s confusing.

So, here is what you need to know.

This will be a two step vote.42 Ballot Explained

The first question boils down to whether Mississippians want to change the state constitution or keep it the same.

It reads like this: Are you FOR Initiative 42 or the Alternative 42 A or are you AGAINST both of the measures.

The second box allows voters to then choose the way they want to fund education.

Initiative 42 requires the state legislature to fully fund public schools. If they don’t, there are legal consequences through the chancery court system.

Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hoseman said,  “There’s a whole other sentence about the chancery courts of the state. Now that doesn’t necessarily mean it would be Hinds County but most likely because that the seat of government. Hinds County Chancery Court would be the place it would be filed. That’s the biggest difference in the two.”

The Alternative Measure 42 A gives the authority to fund public schools back to the state legislature.

So, at the polls you’ll first vote on whether you think the state constitution should be changed, which must pass with a majority.

The second vote will decide how Mississippi’s K-12 education is funded.

Here’s a link to more information from the Secretary of State’s office. http://www.sos.ms.gov/Elections-Voting/Pages/2015-Initiative-Ballot.aspx

Categories: Local News, State News

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