Keep Our Retirees in the Mississippi Legislature!

Help four newly-elected legislators  fight Speaker Gunn’s attempt to overrule voters and force the resignations of duly elected members of the Mississippi House of Representatives.

In December 2018, the Mississippi Attorney General ruled that retirees should be allowed to serve in the Mississippi Legislature without forfeiting their retirement benefits. After receiving assurance from the IRS that a corresponding change in policy would not jeopardize the PERS tax status, the PERS board adopted a regulation complying with the ruling.

In November of 2019, four state retirees (2 former educators, 1 former judge, 1 former tax assessor) were elected by the voters in their communities to serve in the Mississippi House of Representatives.

House Speaker Philip Gunn wants to overturn the ruling, thereby continuing to limit the number of Mississippians eligible to run against him and other incumbent legislators. He has refused to allow the four representatives to be paid the reduced legislative salary required in order for them to be eligible to draw their retirement benefits, and has, instead, ordered that they be paid the full legislative salary (which disqualifies them for their retirement benefits). The four representatives are considering taking legal action to force Gunn to comply with the law and the PERS regulation.

Your donation will help these four duly elected legislators cover the cost of legal representation in this matter and will protect the policy for retirees who, in the future, wish to serve in the Legislature and draw their retirement.

It is of note that, because retirees must draw a reduced legislative salary in order to draw their retirement, having retirees serve in the Legislature and draw their retirement saves the state money.

As a former educator, from the same district as one of the legislators, I care deeply about education policy and know it will benefit our state to have retired educators and other state retirees serving in the Legislature. In addition, I hate to see MS continually lag behind other states.  As an example of this issue, specifically, Florida law says “any retired state employee who is presently drawing retirement benefits under any state retirement system may, as any other citizen, serve in the Legislature without affecting in any way his or her retirement status or the receipt of retirement funds while a member of the Legislature.”  

All funds raised through this page will be used to pay legal expenses for proceedings on behalf of Representatives Billy Andrews,  Jerry Darnell, and Dale Goodin (unfortunately, Ramona Blackledge resigned).  All donations will be sent directly to the attorney/firm that is selected to represent the legislators.  

Thank you!
Jeff Gilder
Hernando, MS


note:  Holly Dean will be assisting in the process of transferring the money to the legal team.