The movement for school choice in Mississippi has momentum.
There is a growing chance that we will see a move to create a universal Education Savings Account for every child in Mississippi, similar perhaps to those in surrounding states such as Arkansas.
Fearful of this, ideologues opposed to parent power are starting to marshal dishonest arguments against school choice.
Some have started to suggest that creating Education Savings Accounts in our state would be somehow unconstitutional, citing a case currently before the state Supreme Court regarding the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in support of this idea.
The argument that the constitution prevents Mississippi establishing a program of universal Education Savings Accounts is nonsense. Many of those making it must know it is a nonsense.
The danger is that those looking for a convenient excuse not to support education freedom in Mississippi will latch on to these bogus arguments.
“Of course, I personally support school choice” some will say. “But sadly, our constitution means that we just can’t have the type of system they have in Arkansas”.
To ensure that every lawmaker knows that there is no constitutional impediment to establishing Education Savings Accounts in Mississippi, we have prepared the following briefing note, and sent it to every lawmaker.
No one that reads it can credibly claim that there is a constitutional impediment to school choice in our state.