The benefit of having so many candidates in this debate is that Mississippians were able to review all of their options before the August 2nd primary. The drawback is that candidates weren’t able to “dig deep” by providing specific details of their policy proposals. While no question was asked that specifically addressed our policy goals, the candidates did take the opportunity to address education, teen pregnancy, and other issues.

The following is a summary of two topics that were addressed during the debate.

Creation of a State Lottery
Ron Williams stated that he opposed a state lottery, and James Broadwater added that he would also close every casino in the state. Dave Dennis was skeptical of the amount of money that would actually go to education, while Johnny DuPree doubted that a lottery would bring new revenue into the state. Phil Bryant stated that a lottery would send a bad message to children that “we have to gamble in order to support education.” Ron Williams also expressed his opposition to a state lottery.

Hudson Holliday and Bill Luckett both said that they could possibly support a lottery, but only if there was certainty that every dollar raised would go to education.

Moving Mississippi From the Bottom 
Candidates were asked why Mississippi was last in so many areas, and what they would do to address these issues. This question speaks directly to the mission of Mississippi First, and it provided an opportunity for the candidates to address specific problems and solutions. Here’s a brief description of how each candidate responded (in order of the responses):

• Holliday said that Mississippi’s negative image keeps people from coming here and keeps people from staying here. He also stated that poverty was at the root of many of our problems. The solutions he noted were tort reform and efforts to open more small businesses.
  
• DuPree stated that education is at the center of the state’s more pressing problems and he spoke about the benefits of an educated society. He shared a few details about his Mississippi Education Restructuring Program, specifically his proposal to exempt teachers from state income tax, to change the compulsory attendance age to 18, and to invest more in vocational education.
  
• Bryant opened by stating our state’s progress - albeit small - in individual income and reading scores. He mentioned teenage pregnancy and proposed prosecution of adult males that get teenage girls pregnant. He also expressed the need for Mississippi teens to come out of high school ready for college or ready for work and proposed charter schools as an option in failing school districts.
  
• Williams spoke primarily on education funding and how those dollars are often diverted to other areas of the state budget.
  
• Luckett questioned the amount of progress Bryant has made during the last four years as Lt. Governor. He then spoke about personal investments he’s made in Clarksdale and the jobs that have been produced as a result. He also described a new “Get It Done” initiative that will launch today.
  
• Broadwater used this opportunity to address to two of his top policy priorities: the adoption of a “fair tax” system and the creation of a school voucher program. He supports the privatization of Mississippi’s education system.
  
• Dennis spoke of the leadership void that will follow Haley Barbour’s departure from the Governor’s Mansion. He added that his experience in the private sector has prepared him to fill that void in leadership.