Lawmakers: Few bragging rights found in 2004 session

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, May 11, 2004

While touting a few successes, Lincoln County lawmakers offeredlukewarm evaluations of the 2004 legislative session that endedlate Sunday.

“I don’t feel real good coming out of the session,” said Dist.53 Rep. Bobby Moak. “The budget process really wore some folksdown.”

A key issue in the budget process was funding for education.Lawmakers finally agreed on a plan that will leave K-12 about $45million short for the new fiscal year that starts July 1.

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Moak said he has real concerns about how local school districtswill meet budget needs. They may need to dip into reserves or raiselocal taxes, he said.

“All we’re doing, simply, is a tax raise on the local folks ifthat happens,” Moak said. “We’re skirting our duty on the statelevel if they have to do that.”

In developing the new fiscal year’s budget, Dist. 92 Rep. Dr.Jim Barnett said lawmakers took money from the state’s rainy dayfund and Department of Transportation, plus enacted some increasesin fines and fees.

“We did everything we could with what we had to do with,” saidBarnett, while observing that the legislature is becomingincreasing partisan and divided.

Dist. 39 Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith said she was pleased thateducation was able to be funded at the level it was.

“It’s such a balancing act taking care of all the areas of ourstate,” Hyde-Smith said. “With education being a priority, it gotfunded at a level that was the best we could do and also take careof the elderly and the infirmed.”

MEDICAID

The senator voiced concerns about the Medicaid plan approved bylawmakers, and apparently some citizens are doing the same.Hyde-Smith said she has already received calls from citizens aboutthe plan.

“One of the most important things is trying to take care ofthose who can’t take care of themselves,” she said.

Hyde-Smith said she introduced an amendment to exclude theelderly and the infirmed from provisions of the Medicaid plan, butit failed. However, the senator said she had received assurancesthat those recipients would not be affected.

Barnett said about 65,000 citizens are on Medicaid and Medicare.The plan shifts about 60,000, who will receive their medicinethrough Medicare beginning June 1, he said.

“That is going to save a tremendous amount of money,” Barnettsaid.

For the other 5,000, Barnett said state officials would beseeking a federal waiver so they will still be covered byMedicaid.

DRUG COURTS

A highlight of the session for Hyde-Smith was passage of herbill to fund drug courts throughout the state. Through increases infines on traffic offenses and felonies, the bill establishesfunding for drug courts and also will provide about $5 million formental health crisis center operations.

“I’m very proud of that bill,” said Hyde-Smith, mentioning thatlawmakers last year approved her bill to authorize drug courts.”This year, we completed the package.”

CRISIS CENTERS

Barnett was pleased to see funding approved for the crisiscenters and the Mississippi School of the Arts.

“Those were my main issues, along with education,” Barnettsaid.

Moak said the legislature was only able to fund mental healthcenters at half the desired level.

“I’d like to have been able to do more,” Moak said. “That’s areal need, and we have to take care of our citizens.”

Brookhaven is the site for one of the crisis centers, andBarnett expected construction to begin shortly. Moak said thecenter would fall under this year’s bill if it is ready foroperation by the end of the year.

“Our facility still has a ways to go,” Moak said.

ARTS SCHOOL

Lawmakers said the arts school was funded at approximately lastyear’s level. MSA Executive Director Dr. Vicki Bodenhamer saidMonday afternoon that she had not seen a final funding figure.

Hyde-Smith said the school would be able to add another classnext year and continue operations.

“We’re not going to be able to do all the things we want withthe arts school, but we will be able to build on what we have,”Hyde-Smith said.

During the session, lawmakers considered enacting a residentialfee for students to attend the arts school and Mississippi Schoolof Math and Science in Columbus. The measure failed, but lawmakerssaid the possibility of it coming up again in the future stillexists.

“We’re going to try to do without it this time,” Barnettsaid.

Moak said there was a lot of discussion about the arts schoolduring the session. He expected it and the math and science schoolto come under some scrutiny as lawmakers consider future educationoptions.

“I think the arts school will be looked at pretty heavily thissummer,” Moak said.

SPECIAL SESSION

While lawmakers have wrapped up their regular session, Gov.Haley Barbour has indicated he plans to call them back for aspecial session to deal with civil justice, or tort, reform.

“I’ll take him at his word there’s going to be one,” Moaksaid.

Barnett said the special session could be called as early asnext week or maybe in July. He expected the session could besimilar to 82-day special term a few years ago.

“It’s going to be a long fight,” Barnett said.

Barnett cited Speaker of the House Billy McCoy’s opposition tofurther tort reform and McCoy’s directing the bill to a committeechaired by Rep. Ed Blackmon, a trial lawyer. The representativepredicted passage if the bill could get over those hurdles.

“If we ever get it to the floor, it’s a done deal,” Barnettsaid.

OTHER NEEDS

Hyde-Smith was also expecting a special session to be called.She and Moak were hopeful that a bond bill would be included amongtopics that could be discussed.

During the regular session, lawmakers failed to agree on a majorbond bill for state Institutions of Higher Learning, communitycolleges and community projects. Also, Moak said he was aware of nofunds for local system bridge improvement projects.

Hyde-Smith mentioned a National Guard armory project she wasseeking through the bond bill. She said it could come up duringspecial session bond bill discussions or could be addressed duringnext year’s regular session.

Moak and Hyde-Smith disagreed on reasons for the bond bill’sfailure. Moak said Senate negotiators rejected a bond project forAlcorn State University and did not take an active role in thenegotiations.

“They didn’t show up,” Moak said. “There’s been a lot of thatgoing on this year.”

Hyde-Smith said there were too many projects on the table in thebond bill.

“People were pulling in so many directions, we couldn’t reach acompromise,” the senator said.

Moak said the special session agenda may have to include otherareas in addition to civil justice reform. He mentioned education,Medicaid, and the mental health centers.

“We’re going to have to worry about a lot of other areas of needin this state,” Moak said.