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5 Questions with Senator Billy Hewes
1. Would you consider running for higher office? Most of us in public office are asked that on a pretty regular basis, and there’s no one in public service who hasn’t considered that possibility at one time or another. As heady as the prospects sometimes are, reality often puts a different twist on our options. Like eating. Paying bills. Staying married. Reminding the kids what Daddy looks like. Keeping a real job. Certainly I would and have considered it, but at present am both fortunate and happy to be serving in my current capacity. With a growing family and a business to run, my plate is quite full. With my four children at the young ages they are now and the length of time my Senate office requires me to be away, the prospects of running for higher office at this time are not very appealing. I suspect at some point in the future I will take the plunge, but I don’t anticipate that to be anytime soon. The Good Lord has his own plan, and if a move up is part of that plan down the road, it will happen. If it doesn’t, then that’s OK too. 2. How is the legislature going to solve the budget crisis? It will not be easy. By nature, Mississippians are the most generous givers per capita. As the legislature is reflective of its citizenry, that attitude often pervades our thinking and habits and is reflected in our zeal to provide as much as we can to our constituents. Translation: If you send us your tax dollars, they’re going to be spent. The challenge, now more than ever, is to control spending – to live within our means. When the economy took a downward turn a few years ago our state income fell way below projections. As a result, instead of cutting way back to adjust, we tried to meet those obligations we had committed to and cover the shortfalls by raiding pools of money that had been set aside for other projects. Today, those pools don’t exist as they are tapped out. This year we have to make some hard and painful decisions to get our spending in check and get the state budget back on track. While tax increases might ease some of the pain short term, they are not a solution for this problem. In fact, they would only serve to perpetuate our existing spending habits. 3. What is the single most important issue going to be for you in this upcoming legislative session? As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Highways and Transportation, it has to be transportation issues and protecting them from further cuts during this legislative session. In the past I have probably been one of the most critical detractors of our Department of Transportation, but over the last few years the folks at MDOT have gotten their house in order, reprioritized projects, and become more responsive to the public. Over the past three budgets alone this department has been the victim of cuts of over $200 million. They simply cannot sustain any more setbacks. The project delays caused by these cuts are affecting local jobs and economies across Mississippi. It is time to cease placing this undue burden for our budgetary woes on one department. 4. Is the Gulf Coast fairly represented? A lot of strides have been made in state government with regard to achieving equity in the distribution of power across our state’s diverse regions. This new term of office exemplifies that fact with Gulf Coast legislators serving in significant legislative leadership roles alongside their counterparts from other parts of the state. This has not always been the case. Credit goes to our Lieutenant Governor and House Speaker for their foresight in achieving balance in selecting their committee chairmen from diverse backgrounds and areas. Governor Barbour for his part is to be commended for seeking to achieve this same type of diversity in the appointments he has made to various boards and agencies across the Magnolia State. 5. What is the highlight of your legislative service? It is a regularly occurring event: Having the opportunity to fight for something you believe in and actually seeing the direct results of your actions. Another is the pleasant revelation of learning that, contary to popular belief, most legislators do not fit the negative political stereotype. They are individuals of high caliber and character who are serving for the right reasons – the preservation, protection, and promotion of the public good. They might not always agree on how to go about achieving these objectives, but for the most part are speaking and voting their convictions. One specific highlight of my service is having had the opportunity to serve last year as National Chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC is the leading non-partisan conservative state legislative policy voice in America. Founded on the Jeffersonian principles of Individual Liberties, Limited Government, and Free Markets, ALEC is a public-private partnership created for the purpose of providing networking opportunities for legislators and the crafting of model legislation for use in the respective states. In existence for over 30 years, this organization has a membership in excess of 2400 state legislators and over 100 alumni members serving in the U.S. Congress, as sitting Governors, Cabinet Members, and other high level public offices. I am most proud to have had the opportunity to represent Mississippi in this capacity!
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