Pardons: Bryant on the right track

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Newly inaugurated Gov. Phil Bryant seems to be on the right track in rejecting the trusty clemency policy followed by his predecessor, Gov. Haley Barbour.

But an individual policy by an individual governor is not be the best way to address the issue.

Barbour is still facing a firestorm of criticism in the wake of granting clemency to more than 200 criminals as he left the Governor’s Mansion.

The issue has overshadowed the first days of Gov. Bryant’s administration which normally are something of a honeymoon for a new governor.

Instead, Bryant, who was sworn in to office last Tuesday, had the spotlight on his inauguration diverted by the news of the pardons the next day. He has now had to repudiate the trusty policy, and is “working towards phasing out” the use of any violent offenders at the mansion, according to his spokesperson Mick Bullock.

“The day Phil Bryant was sworn in, the Mansion trusty program ended in its antiquated 50-year-old form,” Bullock said.

It’s a safe bet those words will be remembered when Bryant leaves office, if any pardons are issued.

via Pardons: Bryant on the right track | The Clarion-Ledger | clarionledger.com.

Related articles

• Bryant’s first move as Governor: End the trusty program. (mississippipep.wordpress.com)
• Governor Bryant supports constitutional amendment to tighten pardon rules. (mississippipep.wordpress.com)
• What they’re writing about Barbour, part II (mpainkblots.wordpress.com)
• In 2 terms, Barbour lets 8 killers go free – Jackson Clarion Ledger (clarionledger.com)
• Controversy puts Mississippi’s long-standing ‘trusty’ program in spotlight – CNN (edition.cnn.com)
• Pardon No More? Mississippi’s New Governor Eyes Tougher Rules for Clemency – ABC News (abcnews.go.com)
• Bryant supports reducing governor’s clemency powers (mississippipep.wordpress.com)
• Barbour Rides Wave of Pardons Out of Office (politicalwire.com)

Group says teen pregnancies are costly to the state of Mississippi

| The Republic: www.therepublic.com/view/story/5504d77bd0ff4602bda…sippi

JACKSON, Miss. — Groups pushing for comprehensive sex education classes in Mississippi schools say there’s a good economic reason for what they’re doing.

A new analysis shows teen births cost the state $154.9 million in 2009.

That includes increased costs of foster care and incarceration for young people born years ago to teen moms, plus lost revenue from people who have lower levels of education and lower-paying jobs because they became parents when they were younger than 20.

The study was done by a nonprofit, nonpartisan group called the Mississippi Economic Policy Center.

#MIssissippi #Sex #Education #Schools #teen #pregnancy #Mississippi #Economic #Policy #Center #Society

Time to talk pre-K plan

| The Clarion-Ledger | www.clarionledger.com: www.clarionledger.com/article/20110904/OPINION03/1…TPAGE

To be clear, the trouble for most Mississippi policy-makers is not whether people think pre-K is a good idea. Instead, the naysayers claim the trouble is money. Where are we going to get the money to support a program that may cost several million annually when we fight to fully fund K-12 education each year?

The problem with focusing on the question of cost is that no one can say for sure how much money a high-quality pre-K program would cost until there is a clear proposal on the table for someone to devise a budget. Thus far, that proposal has been lacking and around the rhetorical merry-go-round we go.

Most people in Mississippi assume that state-funded pre-K would mean giving public schools money to start classrooms for 4-year-olds. This idea is derided by some politicians as the "14th grade." Interestingly, other states have not turned solely to public schools for the provision of pre-K; rather, our neighbors have chosen collaborative delivery systems in which all providers of pre-K services – whether public schools, private childcare, or Head Start – are eligible to participate in the state program, given that they meet standards set by the state. Collaborative systems are more cost-efficient, give parents more options, and increase cohesiveness across the early learning sector.

According to non-profit advocacy group Pre-K Now, collaborative delivery systems are in place in 33 of the 40 states with state-funded pre-K.

As one of only 10 states without state-funded pre-K, Mississippi has plenty of examples to examine.

We could study the models of states like Georgia, West Virginia and Oklahoma and design our own collaborative model that makes sense for our rural context and the types and quality of providers currently operating in Mississippi.

Mississippi could also engage in a conversation about what a "high-quality" program should be, starting with the what the research says about the necessity of highly qualified teachers, superior learning standards and low ratios of students-to-adults in a classroom.

#Mississippi #Rachel #Canter #MississippiFirst #Pre-K #Education #spending #policy #legislature

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