Author Archives: Emily Pote

Rep. Gunn tells new retired legislators to either give up their retirement pay or resign

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Four freshmen lawmakers say speaker wants them to give up retirement pay or resign

Rep. Phillip Gunn, Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives and a Republican, is attempting to bully four newly elected Representatives into resigning because they are retired state employees. All four are also Republicans. The Public Employee Retirement System board changed its policy last year to allow state retirees to run for public office and draw half of the legislative salary (around $5,000) and keep drawing their retirement. Gunn is telling these employees he will not allow them to keep their retirement. He does not have the authority to make that call. He is blatantly overruling the PERS board who set the policies for retirees because he does not want these retirees to vote against any negative legislation which would affect PERS and does not want more retirees serving in the legislature. This is outrageous and unprecedented. If Gunn will take these actions, what else will he do to retirees???
MRPEA supports allowing retirees to serve in the legislature and exists to help protect retirees from this kind of negative treatment and keeping the membership informed as to what is happened. Therefore, MRPEA is calling for all members to call the State Capitol Switchboard at 601-359-3300 and leave a message saying that you want Speaker Gunn to stop bullying these employees and allow them to take their seats as they were elected by their constituents to do and to stop threatening that he will stop their retirement benefits. Gunn’s home phone number is 601-924-8438. Mention that you are a member of MRPEA. Please share this post with friends and family who are PERS retirees.
Thank you.
For your information the four representatives are:
Billy Andrews – Hattiesburg
Ramona Blackledge, Jones County
Jerry Darnell – DeSoto County
Dale Goodin – Perry County

PERS featured on MPB’s Money Talks

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Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s Money Talks on Think Radio recently welcomed Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS) Executive Director Ray Higgins to sit down and discuss the System.

Money Talks focuses on personal finance as it applies to Mississippians, from preparing taxes to saving for college or investing in the stock market. The show, which is hosted by Kevin Farrell, Nancy Lottridge-Anderson, and Ryder Taff, featured PERS in its December 17 episode, which is available now by clicking the link below.

Click here to listen to the episode.

Koch-Funded ‘Bill Mill’ ALEC Names Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn National Chairman

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When Mississippi Speaker of the House Philip Gunn resumes his leadership at the Legislature in 2020, he will also be serving as the new national chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council, an organization that pushes corporate-friendly and anti-public-education legislation in state houses across the nation. The right-wing billionaire Koch family, an assortment of lobbyists, corporations and wealthy donors fund ALEC.

Gunn’s elevation in the group comes just days after The Center for Constitutional Rights, a progressive organization, released a report claiming that ALEC has pushed legislation that furthers white supremacy and corporate power in right-leaning states.

Read More Here: https://m.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2019/dec/06/mississippi-speaker-named-national-chair-koch-fund/

A Word from MS Parent’s Campaign

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unnamed (3)Remember how you felt that day last March?

Legislators told us they were with us. Most agreed: more money for teacher pay; no more money for vouchers.

And then we got the word. Reeves and Gunn had killed the $4,000 teacher pay raise, and they sneaked in more money for private school vouchers. Without even telling our legislators – the people whose votes are supposed to matter.

Remember how you felt when state leaders defied us, and our legislators, and our democracy?

It’s November, and we remember. It’s our chance to cast a vote that really counts.

Please also reach out to a neighbor, friend, or family member who might not otherwise be able to vote. Remember to take an ID!

If each of us does a little something to get public school supporters to the polls, we will win the day for our children and our teachers. It’s November. Time to remember – and act!

Together, we’ve got this!

Gratefully,

Nancy

222 North President Street, Suite 102
Jackson, Mississippi 39201
Phone 601.961.4551
www.msparentscampaign.org