Committee assignments have been made in the Mississippi legislature, and Senator Angela Burks-Hill is not too happy about where she was placed by the lieutenant governor.
The Republican from Picayune, during a recent episode of The Gallo Show, lambasted the decision to take her off the Senate Education Committee, citing her work to improve reading skills in third-grade classrooms and make sure biological males cannot compete on female athletic teams. Before her removal, the former teacher had been part of the committee for over a decade.
“The most surprising thing is after 12 years of being the author of the Third-Grade Reading Gate bill and the Mississippi Fairness Act that prevents boys from competing in girls’ sports, I was removed from the education committee,” Burks-Hill said.
When asked why she was removed, Burks-Hill quipped, “Maybe I’m too conservative for the education committee,” taking a subtle shot at Republican yet often-considered moderate Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann.
When SuperTalk Mississippi News reached out to Hosemann’s team, a spokesperson said it was a matter of getting new blood in as the committee is slated to discuss hot-topic issues such as free community college for all and school choice for K-12 students.
“In a new term, there are always changes to all of the committees because of new members, preferences, seniority, and priorities. This year is not unusual,” Hosemann’s deputy chief-of-staff, Leah Smith, said. “The Lt. Governor has confidence in the Senators and knows they will all work hard in their committees.”
Burks-Hill was instead designated as chair of the Senate Constitution Committee, where she will be tasked with examining the constitutional implications of bills before they go to the floor. Although there will be a change of scenery for the longtime legislator, she said it won’t stop her from introducing bills to provide more parental rights within the state’s public schools and medical field.
“People think that Mississippi is a red state, and in some instances, it is. But we fail to do the things the public would have us to do such as the most important things that have to do with our schools and our medical institutions,” Burks-Hill said.
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