/Reeves touts his social conservatism, though at times, at odds with social conservatives

Reeves touts his social conservatism, though at times, at odds with social conservatives

Reeves’ campaign for governor has as its central theme that he will protect Mississippi from outsiders trying to impose their liberal values and policies on the people. Reeves has been criticised by fellow conservatives for his inability to pass socially conservative legislation through Senate, where he presided over the eight previous sessions as lieutenant governor. Reeves was a popular choice among conservative voters in Mississippi when he pledged to pass legislation that would force the state Board of Education out of Common Core academic standards. Conservatives claimed that Common Core was an attempt to impose federal standards upon local school districts. While the standards were supported by then-President Barack Obama’s administration, they were actually developed by state leaders across the country. Reeves’ popularity with conservatives such as the tea party was increased when he pledged to eliminate Common Core from Mississippi. Reeves’ leadership group passed legislation that instructed the state Board of Education (State Board of Education) to change the name of the standards. Reeves’ leadership team also created a panel to recommend academic standards. However, the legislation did not require that these recommendations be accepted. Gov. Gov. Phil Bryant, whose conservative credentials are never in question, stated, “I am steadfastly in my belief that Common Core should be abandoned, and SB216 wouldn’t do anything to realistically accomplish that.” Reeves responded to Bryant’s veto by saying, “Gov. Bryant’s vetoing of a bill that 93 Republicans supported ensures Common Core will stay in Mississippi schools.” Reeves was criticized by Allen West, an ex-U.S. Rep. and a well-known speaker in conservative circles. West claimed that Reeves blocked passage of a resolution stating that Mississippi supported a “convention between the states”, presumably to amend U.S. Constitution to limit West’s assertions about the excessive reach of the federal government. Mississippi Today reported that West was upset at Reeves’ refusal to appear at a news conference about the issue and said: “I have to tell you something: It doesn’t bother me when people absolve themselves of their responsibilities. It is not my favorite thing when people misunderstand priorities. It makes me wonder if the lieutenant governor can look in the mirror at the end of the day, knowing that he didn’t have two minutes. This is not courage. This is not how this country was built.” The Senate passed the resolution after the West news conference. Reeves effectively killed the anti-immigration bill, which was supported Bryant and other conservatives and had passed the House in 2012. Reeves shot down the bill by transferring it to the Judiciary B Committee, chaired and headed by Senator Hob Bryan (D-Amory), who didn’t call the bill up for consideration. Numerous business groups opposed the bill which gave more authority to local law enforcement to find undocumented immigrants. Laura Hipp, spokesperson for Reeves at the time, stated that he believed “we need to do something” to rid the state of illegal immigrants, but that the proposal was too extreme. 2017 saw the passage of a bill that originated in the Senate to ban sanctuary cities within the state. However, the majority of social issues bills that have passed the Legislature, including abortion and fighting gay marriage, originated in the House. After six weeks, the “heartbeat bill”, which bans abortions, was passed in the Senate. The Senate passed controversial legislation within one hour of its death. It would have allowed governmental entities not to provide services to the same sex couple and would have provided some protection for merchants refusing to serve gay couples. Although the bill had already passed the House in 2016, it was expected to die in the Senate. The deadline was approaching, and a committee meeting was called. Was it because Reeves had reservations about the bill that he waited until the deadline to pass it? This question will probably never be answered. It is clear that Reeves’s primary focus when he was elected to the office of treasurer in the state was fiscal conservatism. Reeves’ top conservative priority was enhancing school choice options for a large portion of his time as lieutenant governor. Now he spends as much or more time talking about social conservatism even as he at times clashes with social conservatives.