Ronnie Musgrove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ronnie Musgrove
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 62nd Governor of Mississippi | |
| In office January 11, 2000 – January 13, 2004 |
|
| Lieutenant | Amy Tuck |
| Preceded by | Kirk Fordice |
| Succeeded by | Haley Barbour |
| 29th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi | |
| In office January 4, 1996 – January 11, 2000 |
|
| Governor | Kirk Fordice |
| Preceded by | Eddie Briggs |
| Succeeded by | Amy Tuck |
| Member of the Mississippi State Senate from the 10th district |
|
| In office January 5, 1988 – January 2, 1996 |
|
| Preceded by | Charles Ray Nix |
| Succeeded by | Nolan Mettetal |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Ronald Musgrove
July 29, 1956 Sardis, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
Melanie Ballard
(m. 1977; div. 2001)Melody Bounds
(m. 2007; died 2021) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Northwest Mississippi Community College University of Mississippi (BA, JD) |
David Ronald Musgrove (born July 29, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 62nd governor of Mississippi from 2000 to 2004. Before that, he was the 29th lieutenant governor of Mississippi from 1996 to 2000. He is a member of the Democratic Party. As of 2024, he is the last Democrat to have been Governor of Mississippi.
Contents
Early Life and Education
David Musgrove was born in Tocowa, Mississippi. He grew up in Batesville, Mississippi. When he was seven, his father, who worked on a road crew, passed away. His mother raised him and his four brothers and sisters by herself. She worked at a factory and tended a garden.
Musgrove attended Northwest Mississippi Junior College, which is now Northwest Mississippi Community College. He then went to the University of Mississippi. Later, he studied law at the University of Mississippi School of Law. There, he became friends with John Grisham, who would later become a famous author. Grisham even helped Musgrove with his political campaigns.
Serving in the State Senate
In 1987, Musgrove decided to run for a seat in the Mississippi State Senate. This is a part of the state's government that makes laws. He won the election and started serving in January 1988. He became the vice chairman of the Universities and Colleges Committee. He also joined the Education Committee.
Musgrove was reelected to the Senate without anyone running against him. In 1992, he became the chairman of the Education Committee. This meant he led discussions and decisions about schools and learning in the state.
Becoming Lieutenant Governor
In 1995, Musgrove ran for lieutenant governor of Mississippi. The lieutenant governor is the second-highest official in the state. He ran against the Republican leader, Eddie Briggs. Musgrove won the election with 52 percent of the votes.
He was sworn in as lieutenant governor on January 4, 1996. Musgrove wanted to work well with Governor Kirk Fordice. As lieutenant governor, he gained a lot of experience with the state's budget.
After Governor Fordice was in a car accident, Musgrove served as acting governor for a short time in late 1996. He handled important state duties during this period. Musgrove also appointed several Black senators to lead important committees in the Senate.
Governor of Mississippi
The 1999 Election
In 1999, Musgrove decided to run for governor. He won the Democratic primary election. In the main election, he faced Republican Mike Parker. Musgrove focused his campaign on improving education. He showed how he had helped schools as lieutenant governor.
The election was very close. Musgrove received more votes than Parker. However, he did not get more than half of all the votes. Because of this, the Mississippi House of Representatives had to choose the winner. This was the only time in Mississippi's history that the House decided who would be governor. On January 4, 2000, the House voted for Musgrove, and he became governor.
What He Did as Governor
Musgrove became governor on January 11, 2000. He wanted to make big changes to government, especially in public education.
As governor, he led several important groups. These included the National Governors Association. He also chaired the Southern Regional Education Board.
One of his biggest achievements was bringing a new Nissan car manufacturing plant to Mississippi in 2000. This was the largest economic project in the state's history. It created many new jobs. This success also helped bring Toyota to the state later on.
In 2000, Musgrove signed a law that stopped same-sex couples from adopting children in Mississippi. This law also meant Mississippi would not recognize adoptions by same-sex couples from other states.
He also worked on changing laws about lawsuits. This was called "tort reform." He called a special meeting of the legislature to discuss these changes. New laws were passed that limited how much money could be paid out in certain lawsuits.
The 2003 Election
In 2003, Musgrove ran for re-election as governor. He ran against Republican Haley Barbour. Musgrove criticized Barbour's past work as a lobbyist. However, Barbour won the election, and Musgrove left office.
After Being Governor
After losing the election, Musgrove returned to working as a lawyer. In 2008, he ran for a seat in the United States Senate. He ran against Republican Roger Wicker.
Musgrove was well-known at first. But Wicker gained support by focusing on conservative ideas. Wicker won the election with 55 percent of the votes.
Musgrove has continued to be involved in public service. He serves on boards that work to improve education and healthcare for families in rural areas and those with lower incomes. In 2013, he started a consulting firm that helps with government relations.
Political Views and Focus Areas
As governor, Musgrove held some conservative social views. He signed laws that required the motto "In God We Trust" to be displayed in all classrooms.
Education Initiatives
Musgrove was known as the "education governor." In 2001, he signed a bill that gave teachers the largest pay raise in the state's history. This brought teacher pay in Mississippi up to the average for the Southeastern United States.
Under his leadership, Mississippi's school accountability standards improved greatly. By 2002, Mississippi was the first state where every public school classroom had a computer with internet access.
Healthcare Improvements
When Musgrove became governor, very few children in Mississippi were enrolled in the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This program helps children whose families earn too much for Medicaid but not enough to afford health insurance.
Governor Musgrove worked with state departments to create a new plan for CHIP. By the time he left office, the number of children covered by CHIP had grown from under 525 to over 60,000. He continues to work on healthcare issues, especially for rural families.
Views on the State Flag
Mississippi's state flag used to feature a part of the Confederate Battle Flag. In 2000, a court ruled that the flag was not officially adopted. This led to discussions about changing the flag.
Musgrove created a commission to study the flag. He also said the old flag would still be used until the legislature reviewed the commission's report. The commission suggested a new design with twenty stars. Musgrove supported this new flag.
In April 2001, people voted on whether to adopt the new flag. However, the old 1894 flag won with 65% of the votes.
Personal Life
In 1977, David Musgrove married Melanie Ballard. They had two children. They divorced in 2001 while he was governor. In 2007, he married Dr. Melody Bruce Bounds. Melody Musgrove passed away in 2021.
Musgrove also teaches classes at his old university, the University of Mississippi. He also teaches at Mississippi College School of Law.
Images for kids
-
Musgrove campaigning for the U.S. Senate with Jim Webb in Jackson, Mississippi
