Jackson Jambalaya

Here is Delbert's speech at the Mississippi Economic Council's Capital Day today:

Speech to business and community leaders statewide at the Mississippi Economic Council's "A Capital Day" event:

"Glad you are still here with us on the third day of the Legislative Session.

You know this year, it took a couple of legislators less than 24 hours of the Legislative Session to start trying to take money from your school children. They want to give oversight of 16th Section Lands solely to the local school boards and take away oversight by any statewide elected official. They want to go back to sweetheart leases. “Friendly” deals and no bid contracts.

Since I took office, we have increased total 16th Section land revenue by over $17-Million per year in a down economy. Up from $54-Million in 2007 to $71-Million in 2011. In addition, North Mississippi schools now receive $20-million dollars a year to compensate them for not having 16th Section Land. 16th Section land is a $91-Million dollar business, and it needs to be run like a business.

We have increased oil royalty payments to local school districts from 1/8 to 3/16th’s, which will produce higher oil and gas revenues for generations. We audit oil and gas payments. One school just received a check for $253,000.

We audit timber cuts and one man was indicted. With the Mississippi Forestry Commission, we help manage over a billion dollars in timber assets across the State and now have viable management plans for all of our timber. Timber revenues are up over $12-Million dollars a year since I took office. I do not know of one school board who has a registered forester on it.

We help manage all 640-thousand acres of public lands the way you manage your business. We made every transaction transparent—no more deals made behind closed doors. You can look on my website and see how much someone is paying for your land, your timber, your oil and gas.

But instead of running these lands like you run your business, there are just a few who want to run these lands like their own candy store. Make no mistake—if we go back sweetheart deals with no oversight, someone is going to have to pay for the additional cost of education, and that someone is you.

Legislatively, this year, we are targeting business and our University system. Over 80% of all research dollars for our universities comes from the federal government. This has been cut dramatically. Since 2010, when federal earmarks were cancelled, our universities have a $178-Million dollars less in external research funding—a 30% decrease in just two years.

Only 7% of research funding for our universities and colleges comes from private business funding.

We need to incentivize Mississippi businesses to put money back into our universities. This legislative session, we are proposing the “Strengthening Mississippi Academic Research through Business” Act, or “SMART” Business Act. Under the proposal, businesses would be eligible to claim a rebate equal to 25% of the research costs by entering into a written research agreement with a Mississippi university. We need to maintain research capabilities at world class levels, hold tuition costs down, and provide students with meaningful work experience.

I will also propose a Headquarters or Expansion Relocation bill to provide credits to businesses expanding within our borders. Further, I will propose an Employee Pass-through bill to allow companies to “pass through” unused tax credits to their employees and provide more income for Mississippi families.

With fiscal cliffs and debt ceilings, uncertainty in our economy is a drag to your business. Mississippi is projected to grow 1.4% this year. The only thing our federal government was able to agree upon is raising your taxes. I have voluntarily cut my budget by $1.5-Million dollars per year since I took office.

We are coming to a critical juncture on the amount of debt our country, our businesses and our citizens can carry. And while I currently do not have a vote in federal government, I have a duty to govern our state responsibly. I intend to do that.

Thank you."