Editing Ray Mabus (section)

=== Legislative action ===
==== County reform ====
At the beginning of his term, Mabus enjoyed the cooperation of legislators{{sfn|Pugh|2020|p=34}} and an $85 million budget surplus.{{sfn|Mullaney|1994|p=209}} In 1988 he proposed a bill to the legislature which would require counties to switch from the beat system to the unit system and hire a professional county administrator to handle financial matters and purchasing.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|p=110}} The [[Mississippi State Senate|State Senate]] passed a bill which mandated a transition by all counties to switch to a loose form of the unit system, while the [[Mississippi House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] endorsed legislation which would allow counties to switch to a full unit system following a local referendum. A [[conference committee]] was unable to reconcile the two different proposals before they expired on the legislative calendar. The legislature successfully passed a bill raising supervisor's salaries, which Mabus vetoed on April 30.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|p=112}} In early June he declared that he would call the legislature into [[special session]] to consider the unit system legislation, and the session was eventually scheduled for August 10.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|pp=112–113}} Addressing the legislature in [[joint session]], Mabus denounced the beat system as an antiquated form of government which "made stealing too easy and too tempting" and created inefficiency.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|pp=113–114}} On August 16, the legislature passed the County Government Reorganization Act, which stipulated that counties were to decide on what form of government to use in a November referendum, and further stipulated requirements for implementation of the unit system. Mabus signed the bill into law.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|p=114}} County supervisors began drawing up cost estimates of implementing the unit system, with estimates from 47 different counties varying from $500 to $1.48 million. Mabus and other observers denounced the estimates as exaggerated and criticized them for not incorporating cost-savings projections post-transition.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|pp=115–116}} In November, 46 of the 82 counties voted to adopt the unit system, with 61 percent of voters backing the switch.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|p=117}} Mabus established the Governor's County Unit Task Force in January 1991 to examine the progress of the unit transition and recommend improvements.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|p=119}} None of its findings were used due to the end of Mabus' term.{{sfn|Crockett|2003|p=121}}

==== State fiscal reform and budgetary issues ====
During the 1988 session, Mabus vetoed a bill which would have forced the Fiscal Management Board—which he chaired as governor—to uniformly reduce expenditures if a projected revenue shortfall became apparent. He also convinced the legislature to appropriate the projected revenue surplus towards increasing schoolteacher salaries, and successfully lobbied the body to adopt several government reorganization recommendations, including the creation of a Department of Finance and Administration,{{sfn|Pugh|2020|p=35}} which replaced the Fiscal Management Board and assumed its responsibilities for making budget recommendations and fiscal adjustments.{{sfn|Pugh|2020|pp=43–44}} The reorganization also led to the abolition of the State Eleemosynary Board and charitable hospitals, with the latter's funds subsequently diverted to the state [[Medicaid]] program.{{sfn|Pugh|2020|p=35}} Mabus was disappointed that the legislature did not adopt the majority of his proposals—which would have greatly reduced the number of state boards and commissions—but claimed that those enacted saved the state at least $928,744 annually.{{sfn|Pugh|2020|pp=43–44}} In the 1989 session he proposed the legislature authorize the issuance of [[general obligation bond]]s to fund a five-year [[capital improvement plan]] and thereby free up general revenue for other services.{{sfn|Pugh|2020|pp=35, 45}} The bond proposal expired due to disagreement between the Senate and House, so Mabus called the legislature into special session to address the issue. The legislature authorized the issuance of $78.1 million in bonds for the 1990 fiscal year, and in the 1990 session authorized the issuance of an additional $69.5 million in bonds.{{sfn|Pugh|2020|p=35}} Facing a $120 million budget shortfall in early 1991, Mabus imposed large cuts to state expenditures as required by law.{{sfn|Nash|Taggart|2009|p=223}}{{sfn|Mullaney|1994|p=209}}

==== B.E.S.T. ====
Mabus decided to focus on improving public education during the 1990 legislative session.{{sfn|Nash|Taggart|2009|pp=223–224}} By the time the legislature had convened in January, the governor had circulated his education plan across the state. The platform—Better Education for Success Tomorrow or B.E.S.T.—included new adult and family literacy programs, a program to ameliorate the high school dropout rate, the creation of health clinics in schools, a plan to monitor schools with subpar performance and financially reward and reduce restrictions on schools with excellent performance, and the establishment of a new school construction and facility repair fund.{{sfn|Nash|Taggart|2009|p=224}} In funding his proposals, Mabus eschewed sales or income tax increases, arguing that "the working people of Mississippi pay enough taxes", and argued for the establishment of a [[state lottery]].{{sfn|Nash|Taggart|2009|pp=224–225}} The state constitution banned lotteries, and could only be amended by public referendum following the approval of two-thirds of the legislature. The Senate refused to approve a referendum,{{sfn|Nash|Taggart|2009|p=225}} but the legislature passed most of B.E.S.T. with the added provision that the program would expire on June 30 if no funding was ultimately found for it.{{sfn|Nash|Taggart|2009|pp=224–225}}

On June 18, Mabus called the legislature into special session to consider various plans for funding B.E.S.T.. He suggested several options for the body to consider including the lottery, gambling taxes, or higher government service fees, but refused to consider tax increases, arguing that the state had overused that option for previous education improvements. The legislature ultimately adjourned without approving a funding plan. Mabus continued to lobby for the financing of B.E.S.T. for another year without success.{{sfn|Nash|Taggart|2009|p=225}} As time went on, many legislators began to feel Mabus was arrogant and did not want to be an equal partner in creating public policy for the state.{{sfn|Nossiter|1994|p=226}} [[Focus group]]s convened by Mabus' campaign organization in the aftermath of the special session largely interpreted the governor's failure as a result of his unwillingness to compromise with the legislature.{{sfn|Nash|Taggart|2009|pp=225–226}}

He gave teachers the largest pay raise in the nation;<ref name=peter>{{cite news|last1=Applebome|first1=Peter|title=Mississippi Governor's Record at Issue|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/16/us/mississippi-governor-s-record-at-issue.html|work=New York Times|date=September 16, 1991|access-date=February 12, 2017|archive-date=December 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220104740/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/16/us/mississippi-governor-s-record-at-issue.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and was named one of ''[[Fortune Magazine]]'''s ten "best education governors".{{sfn|Sansing|2016|p=230}}