Mississippi School of the Arts surfacedduring budget discussion this week in the state House ofRepresentatives, but lawmakers say the school remains safe.

    “It’s not on the chopping block,” said District 92 Rep. BeckyCurrie, R-Brookhaven Tuesday. “I’ve talked to the chairman ofeducation, and it’s safe as long as he is chairman.”

    House members voted Monday to alter how budget changes can beproposed. Any lawmaker proposing funding increases for any agencymust match the increase with a proposal for cuts somewhereelse.

    In previous sessions, the Legislature was required to produce abalanced budget, but individual representatives did not bear theburden of selecting any cuts required by spending priorities theyproposed.

    The change passed the Republican-controlled House by a 72-48 vote.The measure now goes to the Senate for consideration.

    Currie voted for the rules change. District 53 Rep. Bobby Moak,D-Bogue Chitto and District 91 Rep. Bob Evans, D-Monticello, votedagainst the proposal.

    During debate, several Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. BoEaton, D-Taylorsville, and Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville,said the new rule could make it more difficult to obtain fundingfor local projects, citing state parks and MSA as examples.

    “I think it was mentioned in passing because that is one that hasbeen on people’s radar screen,” said Moak, who is also the Houseminority leader, about the arts school.

    Currie dismissed MSA’s relevance to the budget discussion.

    “It was not even pertinent to the conversation,” Currie said.

    However, Moak raised the possibility that past discussion of movingMSA might make the school a target for legislators looking forfunds.

    “Now that you have this joint rule, I think it will stay onpeople’s radar screen,” Moak said.

    Moak described the new rule as illogical and suggested it mayencourage retaliatory funding attacks, with legislators trying totake funds from agencies and projects important to rivallawmakers.

    “I understand the concept that you want to reduce one budget if youincrease another, but we already have to leave with a balancedbudget,” Moak said. “You’re going to create a system where peopleare going to sit out on the floor and rob agencies.”

    MSA Executive Director Suzanne Hirsch said she doesn’t want to seethe school become a bargaining chip.

    “We haven’t been able to show what we can do because we’re alwaysfighting the funding battle,” Hirsch said.

    Hirsch also said that while attempts to shut down the school in thepast failed, the new rules might make it easier for lawmakers toslowly chip away at the school’s funding.

    However, despite past years of funding uncertainty, Hirsch said theschool has performed well with what it has been given.

    “We are working to make this budget stretch and do what we can,”Hirsch said.

    The rules resolution is not meant to make state agencies a targetbut to protect state reserve funds, Currie said.

    “In previous administrations, it was spend every dime you could getyour hands on,” Currie said.

    Currie believes the new rules will keep the budget balanced duringthe drafting process and ensure that a conference committee cannotdraw on state reserve funds to make up a shortfall.

    However, Moak sees the rule as a means to limit the possibilitythat the budget can be changed on the House floor.

    “It’s attempting to make sure that whatever comes out of theappropriations committee stays,” Moak said. “It attempts to lockdown who can speak on the budget.”