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
