Rep. Jason White chose a challenging array of issues as priorities for his first session as Speaker of the House – healthcare coverage, PERS, education, and reinstating the statewide initiative process.

He told WLBT that Republicans “have gotten a bad rap” for not addressing healthcare coverage. “I’m going to put some smart people on it and we’re going to see what we can get done in that arena.” White has also said his emphasis will be on coverage for the working poor. Though healthcare coverage is a life and death issue for many as evidenced Mississippi’s high rate of preventable deaths, legislative leaders have so far dodged the issue.

White courageously said he wants the House to dig in to Mississippi’s most significant financial conundrum – funding the Public Employees’ Retirement System.

“I do look for us to tackle that big problem and try to come up with some long-term solutions to make it stable going forward so that folks know they can count on their retirement,” said White.

Given that this creeping crisis comes from the Legislature allowing too high benefits with too little funding for the past 40 years, real solutions will be politically difficult and very costly. Previous legislative leaders – including outgoing Speaker Philip Gunn and former Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves – feared the politics of it.

Since the Mississippi Supreme Court upended the state’s initiative process, the Legislature has been unable to reinstate it. Notably, legislators’ efforts have been more along the line of reinventing it than reinstating it.

“We do intend to bring some legislation forward to reinstate that initiative process,” White told WLBT.

It will be interesting to see if White really means “reinstating.” The heretofore proposed reinventions would significantly dilute voters’ sway.

White’s other top issue is education, particularly accountability and the funding formula in the Mississippi Adequate Education Act. He also wants to look into parental choice.

“There’s still room for improvement in our accountability model with our public schools,” he said. “There’s room for improvement in our funding formula, to be sure the money is going where it’s supposed to go. And our priorities are reflected in that funding.”

MAEP has been substantially underfunded since its inception. The House upended a move by the Senate in the last session to adjust the formula and fully fund it.

White’s strong agenda suggests a refreshing intent to deal with important issues others feared to tackle.

Bill Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.