Today, February 5th, 2020, Senator Debar, Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, brought SB 2001 to the floor.
This is the bill that would include a teacher pay raise bringing the teacher salary to $37,000 while also increasing teacher assistant salaries as well.
The Senate voted 52-0 to pass this bill and move it on to the House.
This is a big step for educators throughout the state.
“I think that the education bill today is an example of what can happen when we as legislators put the people first,” Senator Chad McMahan member of the Senate Education Committee said. “I think that Mississippi is at a tipping point and this is not the Mississippi from 50 or 100 years ago. This is the modern hospitality state.
Senator Dennis Debar, Chairman of the Senate education committee said while on the floor today that this will cost around $52 million and is definitely a step in the right direction for educators.
As the bill was unanimously passed on the Senate floor, all senators asked to be co-authors on the bill, too.
This passing also led to a standing ovation by all of the Senate members.
“We just have to believe in each other and trust each other and this today was a unanimous vote to invest in our education and our teachers,” McMahan also said. “I want to say to educators across Mississippi, we care about you, we believe in you.”
