MCPP Praises Passage of Welfare Reforms

“will help more Mississippians move from dependency to dignity, from poverty to prosperity, and from welfare to work.”

(JACKSON) – Mississippi Center for Public Policy President Forest Thigpen praised legislators for passing HB 1090, which will curb fraud and abuse in Medicaid and other welfare programs.  

Thigpen said, “These reforms will help more Mississippians move from dependency to dignity, from poverty to prosperity, and from welfare to work by eliminating loopholes that are found in current welfare policy. Among other things, it will restore the work requirements that were a key to the success of welfare reforms enacted by President Bill Clinton twenty years ago, which have been gutted over the last few years.” 

Thigpen said the bill will help focus key welfare programs on those who are truly eligible by removing people who have moved to other states and people who have died.

“Other states have saved hundreds of millions of dollars by implementing just some of the actions that will now be required of Medicaid and the Department of Human Services,” Thigpen said.

Among the provisions in HB 1090:

•   Requires able-bodied adults without children to transition from welfare to work.
•  Restores income and asset tests to the food stamp program (now known as SNAP).
•  Tracks out-of-state spending to stop welfare fraud and abuse (for example, Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card use at Disney World).
•   Protects Medicaid and welfare for our state’s most vulnerable citizens by giving state employees new tools to identify and eliminate fraud.
•  Saves Mississippi – and federal – taxpayers millions a year by removing fraudsters and identity thieves from our welfare rolls.

“The HOPE Act will help Mississippi lead the way in getting people back to work, saving tax dollars and eliminating welfare fraud,” said Dr. Jameson Taylor, vice president for policy at the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.

The Mississippi Center for Public Policy is an independent, non-profit organization based in Jackson. It works to advance the ideals of free markets, limited government, and strong traditional families. Its work is supported by voluntary, tax-deductible contributions. It receives no funds from government agencies for its operations. To learn more about MCPP, visit www.mspolicy.org.

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(JACKSON, MISS—FEBRUARY 17) – Today, the Mississippi Justice Institute (MJI) filed a complaint with the Mississippi Ethics Commission following a refusal by the Department of Revenue (DOR) to make available public documents related to a voluntary agreement between that agency and the online retailer Amazon. The agreement, as first disclosed in public statements by Department of Revenue officials, appears to provide for Amazon to collect use tax from online purchases from Mississippians and remit those taxes to DOR. DOR officials have publicly spoken of negotiations between the agency and Amazon.

“Mississippi law requires government transparency and accountability. As taxpayers, the public should be allowed to know the details of our state agencies’ agreements and contracts with outside entities – in this case a billion dollar corporation collecting taxes on behalf of the state. These details are particularly important because they involve an issue with current active legislative debate and recently completed but not yet enacted rulemaking by the Department of Revenue. The state is making policy on this issue without revealing public information which could inform the citizens,” said Mike Hurst, director of MJI.

Hurst continued, “The Department of Revenue denied our open records request citing confidentiality of required tax records. But the agreement isn’t a required tax record because this is a voluntary agreement. Under existing U.S. Supreme Court precedent, the Department of Revenue cannot require an out-of-state company with no physical presence in Mississippi to pay a use tax. There is no exemption to Mississippi’s transparency laws which allows the Department of Revenue to deny review of these public records, so we have appealed their refusal to the Ethics Commission,”

Hurst noted several questions the information requested might answer.

• Has the state agency obligated taxpayers to any agreement?
• Did DOR agree with Amazon that, in exchange for voluntarily collecting these use taxes for DOR, DOR would promulgate regulations attempting to codify the application of use taxes to other out-of-state companies?
• Did DOR structure the agreement at Amazon’s request to give Amazon a competitive advantage over competitors?
• Did DOR agree to give Amazon some kind of benefit for voluntarily coming forward and agreeing to collect use taxes for DOR? If so, what are the details of that contract between a state agency and a collection company?
• Did DOR agree to shield third-party sellers on Amazon’s platform from collecting use tax?

You can read MJI's record request here; the DOR's refusal here, and MJI's complaint to the Ethics Commission here.

The Mississippi Justice Institute represents Mississippians whose state or federal Constitutional rights have been threatened or violated by government actions. It is the legal division of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. To learn more about MJI, visit www.msjustice.org.

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By Forest Thigpen

To hear this commentary click here.

Governor Bryant is drawing some criticism for saying he was driven by his Christian faith to sign a particular law. Let's think about that.

All public officials have a reason for the position they take on a piece of legislation. In some cases, it's a desire to be re-elected; in other cases, they might want to reflect the majority of constituents they've heard from. But often, their votes are driven by a philosophy or ideology that reflects their understanding of the purpose of government.

The reality is that such a philosophy or ideology has been influenced by someone else. Maybe a professor in college, or a favorite philosopher or writer. Bernie Sanders, as a self-proclaimed socialist, presumably was influenced by the writings of Karl Marx.

The idea that being motivated by faith is a violation of the constitutional separation of church and state reflects a significant misunderstanding of that concept, which is a subject for another time. But today's question comes down to this: Why would it be constitutional to be influenced by Karl Marx but not by Jesus Christ?

For more on this and other principles of governing, go to GoverningByPrinciple.org.

Air Date: August 8, 2016

Listen Here

What do you think would happen in our society if we treated people with respect when we disagree
with them politically? Instead of name-calling, which is common on social media, or saying their disagreement with us is driven by hatred, what if we actually listened to them to find out why they believe what they believe?

I'll take it a step further. What if we were to accept those people as they are, and even accept their viewpoint? I don't mean we adopt their viewpoint as our own, or approve of their behaviors or their beliefs. Acceptance does not mean approval.

Accepting others is like finding them on a map. Where they're going, or what they want to do with their beliefs is important, but accepting the reality of where they are right now, and how they got there, is an important starting point for a productive discussion.

Whether it's a political disagreement, or disagreement with a spouse or anyone else for that matter, if we listen before we speak, we might be surprised to find ways we can work together to solve some of our biggest problems.

Statement of Forest Thigpen on the Lawsuit to Kill Charter Schools in Mississippi

(JACKSON) --

Jackson, MS, July 12, 2016 - Forest Thigpen, president of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, issued the following statement regarding the lawsuit filed yesterday by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The suit alleges that charter school funding violates the Mississippi constitution, in part because the plaintiffs say charter schools are not "free" schools:

Charter schools are public schools, and since they charge no tuition, any rational person would conclude that they are "free" schools as referenced by the state constitution.

Parents are responsible for their children's education. It is immoral for the government to force parents to send their children to schools that do not meet their academic and related needs, especially when other public options are available, including charter schools.

Parents who have enough money to move to a better district or to send their children to private schools already have options. Charter schools, as demonstrated by the student population at the two schools that opened this year, primarily serve families who cannot afford either of those options.

Improving educational outcomes is one of the most important ways to lift children out of poverty, and charter schools offer that hope to parents who want a better future for their children. By pursuing this lawsuit, it appears as though the Southern Poverty Law Center wants to perpetuate, not alleviate, southern poverty.

The Mississippi Center for Public Policy is an independent, non-profit organization based in Jackson. It works to advance the ideals of free markets, limited government, and strong traditional families. Its work, including the Mississippi Justice Institute, is supported by voluntary, tax-deductible contributions. It receives no funds from government agencies for its operations. To learn more about MCPP, visit www.mspolicy.org.

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By Forest Thigpen

To hear this commentary click here.

What happens when two Constitutional rights are in conflict?

After the Roe v. Wade abortion decision, the federal government and almost all states enacted conscience protections for health professionals whose deeply-held beliefs or moral convictions would not allow them to assist in performing an abortion.

Last year, another Supreme Court decision created potential conflicts for people of faith. There now exists the freedom of religion and the freedom of same-sex couples to marry. What happens when those two rights conflict?

HB 1523 provides the framework for addressing that question so that both of those rights can be exercised.

If bakers and florists choose not to be involved in a same-sex wedding, the same-sex couple will still be able to exercise their right to get married. But if the government were to force the bakers and florists to participate, those business owners would not be allowed to exercise their right to the free exercise of religion.

For more perspective on this issue, and to read the bill for yourself, go to mspolicy.org.

February 25, 2016

CONTACT: Forest Thigpen
[email protected]
(601) 969-1300

MCPP Launches Mississippi Justice Institute

Former Assistant US Attorney Mike Hurst to direct legal efforts

(JACKSON) -- Mississippi Center for Public Policy (MCPP) today announced the creation of the Mississippi Justice Institute (MJI) as the Center's legal arm to represent Mississippians whose state or federal Constitutional rights have been threatened by government actions. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst has joined MCPP to serve as its General Counsel and as Director of MJI.

"For 23 years we've worked to help legislators write laws to guard the liberty of the people of Mississippi, to enhance their opportunities, and to protect their families," said Forest Thigpen, President of MCPP. "Through the Mississippi Justice Institute, we will pursue those same goals in the judicial system by working to ensure our laws are carried out in a way that protects the liberty of our people and honors their Constitutional rights.

Thigpen said, "We're thrilled to have Mike Hurst join us to lead this effort. Mike's work as a federal prosecutor, fighting public corruption in Mississippi, and his experience in constitutional issues in Washington, D.C., make him a perfect fit for this new project."

Hurst said, "With the creation of MJI, I am excited about the opportunity to continue to pursue the interests of freedom and justice on behalf of Mississippi citizens in our courts. In the past, conservative legal groups from outside have come to Mississippi in order to fill this void - and they've done a fine job - but not all the violations of rights are headline grabbers. Mississippians need someone here to fight for the rights of our citizens whose life, liberty and property rights are being abused or limited by government. MJI will represent individuals or groups whose rights are threatened or infringed upon by the government, and we will intervene when important liberty interests or issues are being litigated in the courts, considered or decided upon by administrative agencies, or debated in the public square."

Hurst noted MJI's activities would include direct litigation on behalf of individuals, intervening in cases important to public policy, participating in regulatory and rule making proceedings, and filing amicus, or "friend of the Court," briefs to offer unique perspectives on significant legal matters in Mississippi and Federal courts.

"America and Mississippi prosper with a limited government that allows free markets to work. Limited government isn't just a conservative idea; it is the heart and soul of our state and federal constitutions. In practical matters, for families and businesses and citizens, an unconstitutional law or policy is only overturned if someone stands up and fights against it. MJI will be that champion for Mississippians in need." He said MJI will be announcing its first legal action "very soon."

Prior to joining MCPP, Hurst served as Assistant United States Attorney from 2006 until 2015, when he resigned and ran as the Republican nominee for Mississippi Attorney General. As a federal prosecutor, Mike led some of the largest and most complex public corruption and white collar cases in the state's history, including the recent bribery case against the former Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner. In 2014, Hurst was awarded the Director's Award for Outstanding Prosecution of Fraud and Service to Fraud Prevention by the U.S. Department of Justice's Executive Office of the United States Attorneys. Previously, Hurst served as Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee focusing on the U.S. Constitution, and later as Legislative Director and Counsel for Congressman Chip Pickering.

The Mississippi Center for Public Policy is an independent, non-profit organization based in Jackson. It works to advance the ideals of free markets, limited government, and strong traditional families. Its work, including the Mississippi Justice Institute, is supported by voluntary, tax-deductible contributions. It receives no funds from government agencies for its operations. To learn more about MCPP, visit www.mspolicy.org.

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