JACKSON — U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy addressed Jacksonians at a community forum on Nov. 14 where he expounded upon and set the record straight about his stances, including his response to viral “public hanging” comments from his competitor, incumbent U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. She was also invited but had returned to Washington, D.C., at the time of the event.
Working Together Jackson hosted the forum. It is a nonpartisan umbrella over various community organizations, religious groups and nonprofits in the Jackson metro area.
During the afternoon gathering at New Horizon Church in west Jackson, community leaders from different organizations stepped up to the podium to probe Espy on his positions on public education and college, healthy food access and healthcare, and borders and the fate of DREAMers. He had two minutes to respond to each question.
Espy on Education
On public-education funding, which he called the number-one structural problem in the state today, Espy promised to help fund public schools without infringing on parental choice.
Espy said he and his twin sister were homeschooled before going to parochial school and ultimately graduating from a public school. His son currently goes to private school, he said.
“I’ve been involved in all of these aspects of education. Here’s the disclaimer: I cannot, and I will not tell any parent where to send their child,” he said. “Parents will choose what they feel would be the best situation for their child, and I won’t try to direct them.”
However, Espy added that he will direct resources and attention to public schools because they are where most Mississippi children go to learn.
“First of all, what I’m going to make sure of is that private dollars that go toward promoting public school budgets are not diverted to charter schools or anywhere else,” he said. “Even though I write a check for my child to (go to a) private school, I would never allow my property taxes to go to that private school. I’m sorry, but that’s just how I feel.”
State law only allows charter schools without permission from the local school board to open in “D” and “F” districts. Charter schools such as the ones up and running in Jackson have pulled from the already strapped Jackson Public Schools.
Since Reimagine Prep and Midtown Public Charter School, Mississippi’s first two charter schools, opened in 2015, JPS has sent more than $12 million in state and local tax dollars to the three charter schools operating in the district.
Espy also said he wants public-school teachers to be paid well enough so that they do not have to buy classroom supplies for their students or rely on second and third jobs.
A student from Hinds Community College asked about the candidate’s position on raising the federal minimum wage.
“Yes,” he said to immediate applause. “But there are other things we can do.”
Espy then pivoted back to education.
“I really believe that all technical schools, all community colleges and maybe even perhaps the first two years of public colleges ought to be free,” he said.
He suggested some of the forthcoming state lottery should go toward funding this.
Espy on Immigration, Being Called Liberal
When a question about immigration came up, Espy immediately referenced an opposition ad from the Mississippi Republican Party that harps on cleared charges from his time as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture during the Bill Clinton era. The ad also claims Espy supports open borders.
“I believe in secure borders,” Espy said Wednesday. “But, I believe that our immigration policy should be moral.”
In the 20 days between Election Day and the runoff on Nov. 27, Hyde-Smith has been tweeting one reason “why Espy is too liberal for Mississippi” each day.”
