The Dyslexia Scholarship: How Your Senator Voted

Exterior of the Mississippi State Capitol building at dawn in Jackson, Mississippi

Last night the Senate adopted an expansion to the Dyslexia Scholarship in a 30-19 vote.

House Bill 1046 makes a number of important changes to the current Dyslexia Scholarship program. This includes:

  • The scholarships will be expanded to students through 12th grade. The program is currently only available through 6th grade. This will serve students who did not receive the appropriate dyslexia services when they were younger.
  • Accredited private schools will be allowed to accept the scholarships, provided they meet all the standards, including employing Mississippi licensed dyslexia therapists. The program currently requires schools to be accredited by the Mississippi Department of Education, which significantly limits the number of schools who can participate.
  • Students living in border counties will be allowed to use the scholarship in another state, if appropriate educational services are not available within thirty miles of the student’s home.

How each Senator voted

Yeas–Barnett, Blackwell, Branning, Browning, Burton, Butler, Caughman, Clarke, DeBar, Doty, Fillingane, Gollott, Harkins, Hill, Hopson, Hudson, Jackson S. (32nd), Kirby, Massey, McDaniel, Michel, Moran, Parker, Polk, Seymour, Tindell, Tollison, Watson, Wiggins, Wilemon.

Nays–Blackmon, Blount, Bryan, Carmichael, Dawkins, Dearing, Frazier, Jackson G. (15th), Jackson R. (11th), Jolly, Jordan, McMahan, Norwood, Parks, Simmons D. T. (12th), Stone, Turner-Ford, Witherspoon, Younger.

Absent and those not voting–Chassaniol.

Senator Simmons W. (13th), who would have voted yea on H. B. No. 1046, announced a pair with Senator Horhn, who would have voted nay.

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