The Speaker of the Mississippi House is traveling the state listening to ideas that the legislature should consider in 2015. The next legislative session is the final one before all 174 Representatives and Senator face re-election.
Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn greets people at a community center in Pearl during his annual listening tour of the state.
Gunn told the small crowd that his goal is to listening to all proposals, not make a political speech.
"When we are in session down in Jackson not everybody has an opportunity. Especially people who don't live in the metro area. Many of our citizens live in the northern parts of the state or on the coast. By doing this, we are able to come out into the community and bring the legislature to the people," Gunn said.
Gunn says last year's listening tour resulted in two bills becoming law, both dealing with tax credits.
The tour brings to light lesser known issues, like increasing funding for broadband Internet at local libraries as Gail Bracey the director of the South Mississippi Regional Library suggested.
"To provide fast access to the average citizen in a small town or rural area would be prohibitively expensive for most people to be able to do that. They come to the libraries to provide that," Bracey said.
The tour also gives a window into what issues are most talked about such as common core education standards or second amendment rights.
Larry Eubanks says the transition to the new education standards has been a disaster.
"Everybody is having problems with Common Core. And I don't understand why you have a system that has worked for years and then you want to switch to something and catch people all in the middle," Eubanks said.
Gunn is continuing his tour all week long.
He is in Cleveland today, Tupelo Tomorrow and then heads to the coast on Thursday.
