By Representative Joe Warren
Chairman, Committee on Rules Mississippi House of Representative
For some weeks now I have read in the media about the race for Speaker of the House. I have been a member of the House for nearly 28 years. Never has the Speaker’s race gotten as much attention as it has this year. While it is often considered a race between two Democrats, House Speaker Billy McCoy and Jeff Smith, the Republicans are in lock step with Smith who if elected would give absolute control over state government to the Republicans with no check on their power.
Often Republican adversaries and sometimes reporters will encourage the readers and listeners to ask those running for House seats how they will vote in the Speaker’s race. By implying that Speaker McCoy is too “liberal” for Mississippi, these Republicans hope some Democratic candidates for the House will be scared to publicly voice their support for Speaker McCoy.
To that end, as an old hand at Mississippi politics, I suggest that all candidates for the House of Representatives concentrate on their own race, not the Speaker’s. People are far more concerned about what you can do for your district than they are who you will vote for Speaker. However, if asked Democrats can say, “If you want a conservative Speaker who supports the rights of the unborn, that’s Billy McCoy’s lifelong belief.” You might want to mention to them that Speaker McCoy has the endorsement of Mississippi Right to Life. If you want a Speaker that supports the rights of gun owners, tell them Billy McCoy is endorsed by the National Rifle Association. If you want a Speaker that will stand up for the traditional family, Speaker McCoy has a 100% voting record of defining marriage as between one man and one woman.
If being too liberal for Mississippi politics means fully funding education every year and not just election years, Billy McCoy is guilty of being the only candidate for Speaker to do so. He is also the only candidate to stand up to Governor Barbour when he tried to take 65,000 seniors and kids off of health insurance. He is the only candidate for Speaker to support building a Burn Center in Jackson so Mississippians suffering burn injuries could be treated at home instead of some strange place away from friends and family. Billy McCoy has supported all of the economic development money the Governor asked for, and millions more, which makes him the only candidate for Speaker with that kind of record on economic development, not to mention the only candidate for Speaker who will make sure we cut the tax on groceries.
If the opposition to Speaker McCoy and his House Leadership want to play games and circumvent voters who elected democrats to the legislature, then I say let them. Do what they say. Ask Representatives who they intend to support for Speaker. It’s a Republican strong armed maneuver to split the House completely down partisan lines and the voters ought to know the facts. Let them make it simply Republicans versus Democrats and complete the gridlock so despised in our nation’s capital.
If a candidate for the House is not voting for Billy McCoy, ask “Why on earth not?”
Joe Warren of Mt. Olive is chairman of the Mississippi House Democratic Leadership Victory PAC, as well as chair of the important Rules Committee in the House. He has served as chair of education and has been a key member of the leadership team under previous Speaker Tim Ford as well as present Speaker Billy McCoy
Chairman, Committee on Rules Mississippi House of Representative
For some weeks now I have read in the media about the race for Speaker of the House. I have been a member of the House for nearly 28 years. Never has the Speaker’s race gotten as much attention as it has this year. While it is often considered a race between two Democrats, House Speaker Billy McCoy and Jeff Smith, the Republicans are in lock step with Smith who if elected would give absolute control over state government to the Republicans with no check on their power.
Often Republican adversaries and sometimes reporters will encourage the readers and listeners to ask those running for House seats how they will vote in the Speaker’s race. By implying that Speaker McCoy is too “liberal” for Mississippi, these Republicans hope some Democratic candidates for the House will be scared to publicly voice their support for Speaker McCoy.
To that end, as an old hand at Mississippi politics, I suggest that all candidates for the House of Representatives concentrate on their own race, not the Speaker’s. People are far more concerned about what you can do for your district than they are who you will vote for Speaker. However, if asked Democrats can say, “If you want a conservative Speaker who supports the rights of the unborn, that’s Billy McCoy’s lifelong belief.” You might want to mention to them that Speaker McCoy has the endorsement of Mississippi Right to Life. If you want a Speaker that supports the rights of gun owners, tell them Billy McCoy is endorsed by the National Rifle Association. If you want a Speaker that will stand up for the traditional family, Speaker McCoy has a 100% voting record of defining marriage as between one man and one woman.
If being too liberal for Mississippi politics means fully funding education every year and not just election years, Billy McCoy is guilty of being the only candidate for Speaker to do so. He is also the only candidate to stand up to Governor Barbour when he tried to take 65,000 seniors and kids off of health insurance. He is the only candidate for Speaker to support building a Burn Center in Jackson so Mississippians suffering burn injuries could be treated at home instead of some strange place away from friends and family. Billy McCoy has supported all of the economic development money the Governor asked for, and millions more, which makes him the only candidate for Speaker with that kind of record on economic development, not to mention the only candidate for Speaker who will make sure we cut the tax on groceries.
If the opposition to Speaker McCoy and his House Leadership want to play games and circumvent voters who elected democrats to the legislature, then I say let them. Do what they say. Ask Representatives who they intend to support for Speaker. It’s a Republican strong armed maneuver to split the House completely down partisan lines and the voters ought to know the facts. Let them make it simply Republicans versus Democrats and complete the gridlock so despised in our nation’s capital.
If a candidate for the House is not voting for Billy McCoy, ask “Why on earth not?”
Joe Warren of Mt. Olive is chairman of the Mississippi House Democratic Leadership Victory PAC, as well as chair of the important Rules Committee in the House. He has served as chair of education and has been a key member of the leadership team under previous Speaker Tim Ford as well as present Speaker Billy McCoy
well, that's pretty good...plus just look at Jeff Smith. You know how much mendacity fits under that mustache of his?
ReplyDeleteJoe Warren has often been a voice of calm and reason in the midst of turmoil. This is an excellent piece that articulates why Billy McCoy is truly repesentative of all Mississippians. Well said, Mr Chairman.
ReplyDeleteThe question is, "will the speaker be around to be in a leadership fight?". Word from Prentiss County is that he's looking at a lot of heat.
ReplyDelete-m
whoever "has a 100% voting record of defining marriage as between one man and one woman."
ReplyDeleteI am so sick of hearing this bigoted line coming from Democrats. And equal rights for all... except homosexuals. Discrimination against citizens who have no choice, how Republican.
Speaker McCoy has been an integral participant in the fight against Haley's assualt on public education. This is the only year, as most of you know, that the public schools have been fully funded under Haley's administration. Nevermind the fact that funding is mandated by state law.
ReplyDeleteMembers of the State Board of Ed. have repeated that it was due to the leadership of folks like Speaker McCoy and Cecil Brown that they were able to fend off the governor this year. Haley being the politician he is has targeted most of the education friendly group for this round of election cycles.
Our governor has used his power as governor to build the GOP in Mississippi, line the pockets of his friends and family, and make sure that the tobacco lobby has their way. We deserve better.
For a man to have the voice to make a difference as Haley does, it is disheartening to see him taket the route of underfunding our public schools. I wonder what private school his kids went to?
How many years was MAEP fully funded while Musgrove was Guv?
ReplyDeleteI just read Sid Bondurant's response to Rep. Warren's column. Can somebody tell me why Jeff Smith is whining about committee chairmanships when he himself was appointed a major committee chair by McCoy along with Republicans -- Formby and Guice for example. Again, it's the same old GOP trick -- just keep repeating something until everyone believes it, and the truth be damned.
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