Opinion ID: 1095462
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: james d. nunnally

Text: Nunnally, a resident of Tippah County, was elected to the office of State Representative, 4th District of the Mississippi Legislature in 1971, and has been re-elected each succeeding election for a four-year term. He was elected to his present term in November, 1983, and formally accepted membership in that body for this term in January, 1984. On March 28, 1984, Representative Nunnally voted yea on House Bill No. 1172, which became law on May 8, 1984, as Chapter 165, Mississippi Laws, 1984. This Bill was an act making an appropriation to the State Department of Education for disbursement by the Department to the South Tippah County Consolidated School District, the Benton County School District, and other public school districts for support and maintenance during the fiscal year 1985 (July 1, 1984, through June 30, 1985). [3] In 1984 Nunnally and the Benton County School District executed an employment contract whereby Nunnally was employed as a public school teacher at Ashland Middle School, at an annual salary of $15,575 for the 1984-85 school year. [4] During this time Nunnally's wife, Betty Jo Nunnally, was employed by South Tippah County Consolidated School District as a public school teacher at Pine Grove High School, at an annual salary of $15,565 for the 1984-85 school year. On February 28, 1985, Representative Nunnally voted yea on House Bill No. 1172, which became law on April 5, 1985, as Chapter 95, Mississippi Laws, 1985, and which likewise was an appropriation bill to the State Department of Education just as Chapter 165, Mississippi Laws, 1984, but for the fiscal year 1986. In addition to the appropriation bills, Representative Nunnally was a member of the Legislature when Senate Bill No. 2876 was enacted into law on March 19, 1985, as Chapter 351, Mississippi Laws, 1985. A portion of this act revised the teachers' salary schedule and increased the minimum education program allotment. See Miss. Code Ann. § 37-19-7 (Supp. 1985) (codification of teacher salary increases). While the bill passed the House of Representatives on March 17, 1985, Nunnally abstained from voting. House Journal, 1985, at p. 550-51. [5] In 1985 Nunnally entered into a contract of employment with the Benton County School District as a public school teacher for the 1985-86 school year at a salary of $17,975. Nunnally's wife entered into a similar contract with the South Tippah County Consolidated School District for the 1985-86 school year at a salary of $17,965. For the 1984-85 school year, the parties have stipulated that $15,325, all but $250 of Nunnally's salary, was paid from public funds appropriated by the Mississippi Legislature. As to the other employment contracts by Nunnally and his wife, the record does not disclose how much salary received by the Nunnallys was paid through the appropriation bills; however, Nunnally has stipulated that he and his wife receive the majority of their respective salaries from appropriated public funds.