McLendon questions House priorities after NIL vote

JACKSON, Miss. – State Sen. Michael McLendon (R-Hernando) sharply criticized the Mississippi House of Representatives this week after lawmakers advanced a bill to exempt college athletes’ Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) earnings from state income tax while allowing a Senate-backed teacher pay raise proposal to die.

The House voted 76–32 to approve the NIL tax exemption, a measure supporters say is needed to keep Mississippi competitive with states that either lack an income tax or have already carved out similar exemptions for student-athletes. Lawmakers in favor of the bill argued that colleges in no‑income‑tax states have used tax advantages as a recruiting tool, prompting Mississippi to consider a comparable approach.

McLendon said the decision reflects misplaced priorities, noting that teachers, first responders and working families continue to pay income tax on their earnings while high‑value NIL deals — some reaching six or seven figures — would receive special treatment.

“We are repeatedly told that Mississippi cannot afford to give teachers a pay raise,” McLendon said. “But somehow, we can afford to exempt six and seven figure NIL deals from taxation. That simply does not make sense.”

The Senate passed a modest teacher pay raise during the first week of the session, but the House never brought it forward. McLendon said House leaders only floated a $5,000 raise after their school voucher proposal stalled — and when that effort failed, interest in teacher pay disappeared as well.

He also raised concerns that many NIL‑earning athletes live on campus, pay no property taxes and often leave the state after graduation, questioning why their income should be prioritized over long‑term public employees.

McLendon further criticized outside political groups that targeted him during the voucher debate, saying their involvement underscored that the fight was never about teachers but about advancing a specific agenda.

He also expressed disappointment that several proposed reforms to the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS), including widely supported return‑to‑work provisions, were allowed to fail.

“If we truly cannot afford to pay teachers more, then we certainly cannot afford to carve out tax exemptions for elite athletes,” McLendon said. “Mississippians deserve to know exactly what priorities are being placed ahead of our teachers.”