Rep. Gene Alday (R), the Mississippi state lawmaker who recently came under fire for racist comments he made about education policy and funding, says his remarks were taken out of context and that he “didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I’m not a bad person, and that makes me look like an evil person,” Alday told the Clarion Ledger, the Mississippi publication that originally posted the story. “The guy made me look like a fool.”
In a recent interview with the Clarion-Ledger about education financing, Alday elaborated on his opposition to increase funding aimed at improving elementary school reading outcomes. According to a survey by the Mississippi Association of State Superintendents, it is expected that more than 28 percent of the state’s third grade public school students will be unable to pass the reading test and thus barred from entering fourth grade.
“If the governor is sincere about making universal literacy a gateway, rather than a gatekeeper, he would support full funding for what it will take to get the literacy job done,” said Mike Sayer, co-founder of Southern Echo, a grassroots civil rights group that works with African-American students.
Alday, however, staunchly opposed any proposals to increase funding. “I don’t see any schools hurting,” he remarked, adding that Mississippi “has a lot of bad school districts…I come from a town where all the blacks are getting food stamps and what I call ‘welfare crazy checks.’ They don’t work.”
Alday says he was unaware that the interview was being conducted on-the-record and that Clarion-Ledger investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell called him late at night. “He asked me a question back to when I was in law enforcement,” Alday complained. “I have a way of talking and saying, ‘take this off the record.’”
The remarks prompted several to call for his retirement, including Clarion-Ledger Executive Editor Sam Hall. “I find Alday’s comments to be reprehensible,” Hall wrote in an article imploring Alday to apologize for his comments and retire. “You can argue that there’s some truth buried in his statements, but you cannot excuse the prejudice and ugliness of those same statements.”
Governor Phil Bryant (R), Speaker of the House Philip Gunn (R) and State Republican Party Chairman Joe Nosef also condemned Alday’s remarks. “I strongly reject his comments condemning any Mississippian because of their race,” said Bryant. “Those days are long past.”
Despite the criticisms, Alday says he plans to seek one more term.