The Mississippi Adequate Education Program, which provides the basics for operating local school districts, was nearly gutted in 1997 just as it was beginning its long legislative journey.
Then-Senate Appropriations Chair Jack Gordon, D-Okolona, passed an amendment to the legislation in his committee that essentially said the funding formula had to be fully funded only as money was available. The Gordon amendment was met with harsh criticism by the education community.
Gordon soon backtracked and said he wanted to offer a new amendment on the Senate floor that would take the legislation back to its original intent, mandating that the Legislature “shall” fully fund the formula.
But the Senate leadership wanted to take a different approach. Senate leaders sought out Sen. Jim Bean of Hattiesburg, a Republican and one of the more respected members of the chamber, to offer the amendment. Bean, who like many Republicans at the time supported the landmark bill, offered the amendment that was approved by his colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike.