State House speaker speaks on human trafficking, teacher salaries – DeSoto Times-Tribune

Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives Philip Gunn reviewed recent accomplishments at the Hernando Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Luncheon on Tuesday, including the state's work to curb human trafficking and raise teacher salaries.

Gunn said he was once surprised at the prevalence of human trafficking in Mississippi. He recalled a story from four years ago, where he spoke with a representative from the Mississippi Federation of Republican Women who informed him of the problem.

“When you're next to a major metropolitan like Memphis, Tennessee, it becomes even bigger (of an issue),” Gunn said. “It's not just poor people selling their kids for rent money. Anytime you have an event that brings a lot of people to town, human trafficking spikes. Like when we have the big golf tournament in Jackson.”

A 2019 evaluation by Shared Hope International, a non-profit organization working to prevent human trafficking, gave Mississippi a “B” grade. The study evaluated the needs of Mississippi, which Gunn said he gave to his lawyers to draft legislation to fulfill them.

Gunn said the passing of Mississippi House Bill 571 and Mississippi House Bill 1559 were created to curb human trafficking. He summarized the bills as giving law enforcement and prosecutors the ability to properly intervene, as well as provide victims the necessary support they need.

“It gave the tools to prosecutors and law enforcement to go out and catch the bad guys,” Gunn said. “These two bills moved us from a “B' to an “A”. It was hailed as model legislation and has now been used as a model around the country for other states. I'm extremely proud Mississippi led in the fight against human trafficking.”

Gunn also discussed the passed Child Crisis Pregnancy Tax Credit, which gives businesses that donate to crisis pregnancy centers a 50 percent tax credit. The centers have supported young women who follow through with an unplanned pregnancy.

Gunn voiced his pro-life stance and said there are 37 crisis pregnancy centers compared to just one abortion clinic in Mississippi.

“The tax credit gives a lot of incentive to businesses and individuals to donate to those crisis pregnancy centers, who exist for the purpose of taking care of the women and children that go forward to give life,” Gunn said. “Those centers provide counseling and financial support. They help these women go forward and get back on their feet.”

The average teacher salary in Mississippi was previously below the national average, according to Gunn. But Mississippi passed the largest pay raise for teachers in state history this year, which pushed the average salary above the national average.

Providing higher pay for teachers has not only kept skilled teachers in the state, but has helped combat the issue of young, skilled citizens moving out-of-state for job opportunities, according to Gunn. He also said quality schools provide a higher quality of life, which is a measurement for companies when they look to relocate.

“I knew four Mississippi teachers who were ready to retire,” Gunn said. “They were going to quit and collect retirement in Mississippi while working across the border to teach in Tennessee. After we passed this pay raise, all four of those teachers remained in Mississippi.”

Gunn's presentation also focused heavily on income tax. He expressed his personal push to eliminate the state income tax, which he said would create $371 million in additional gross domestic product.

While Gunn's efforts to eliminate the state income tax have been unsuccessful thus far, he touted the passing of the largest tax cut in state history that took place this year. With the passed plan, Mississippi has the fifth lowest income tax rate among states that have an income tax.

“It's a four year phase-in. With the rough numbers, you get to keep $100 more dollars for every $10,000 you make,” Gunn said. “That's an extra tank of gas, or at least an extra half tank of gas right now. It's another pair of shoes for your children every month. For some families, that's huge.”

Mississippi received $1.8 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds, 50 percent of which was allocated to clean drinking water and sewer systems, according to Gunn. The remainder was spread among communities, including funding for interchange improvements at Oak Grove and Highway 51 in DeSoto County.

Gunn ended his presentation with an emphasis on eliminating the state income tax. He said Mississippi has already done better than nearby metropolitans in many ways and could beat them economically without an income tax.

“Here in DeSoto County, you've got Memphis, Tennessee beat in every way,” Gunn said. “You have better schools, safer communities and a better quality of life. If there was no income tax, nobody would have a reason to live in Memphis, Tennessee anymore.”