A state representative in Mississippi is defending himself against a wave of controversy following racially charged remarks he made in an interview about state education policy.
Gene Alday said on Monday that he is “not a racist” and that comments he made to the Clarion-Ledger on Sunday – in which he referred to “blacks getting food stamps” and “welfare crazy checks” – were taken out of context.
“I’m not a bad person, and that makes me look like an evil person,” Alday, a Republican, told the newspaper in a follow-up interview on Monday. “I didn’t do anything wrong. The guy made me look like a fool.”
Clarion-Ledger reporter Jerry Mitchell featured Alday’s comments in an article about a controversial state education policy. School superintendents have warned that a new standard for third graders will cause more than 28% of their students to repeat the third grade.
Those opposed to the policy are hoping to postpone it, amid concerns about its effect on the students, schools and state finances. Alday said he disagrees with people who believe state schools need more funding because he doesn’t “see any schools hurting”.
Part of his argument against increasing school funding seemed to come from his experience as the mayor of Walls, a town of a little more than 1,000 people.
“I come from a town where all the blacks are getting food stamps and what I call ‘welfare crazy checks’,” Alday told the Clarion-Ledger in an interview published on Sunday. “They don’t work.”
He went on to say that when he went to an emergency room for pain treatment, “I laid in there for hours because they (blacks) were in there being treated for gunshots.”
Alday is now defending himself, saying that his comments were off-the-cuff, meant to be off the record and provided without context. Mitchell, the reporter, disputed these claims.
Alday was elected in 2011 to represent Mississippi’s 25th district and will have to defend his seat later this year in the November election. He served as mayor and police chief of Walls before being elected to state office. Ahead of the 2011 election, Alday told the Desoto Times Tribune that his focus was on schools and that he supports Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.
The Clarion-Ledger editorial board has called for Alday to retire before this year’s election.
Republican leadership, including state governor Phil Bryant, have distanced themselves from his remarks, though some are concerned that his comments reflect a more commonly held sentiment in the House GOP.
The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus is looking to speak with top state officials to talk about Alday’s comments and the racial tensions it exposes in the state. “Maybe it’s more prevalent than we realize,” said state representative Robert Johnson, a Democratic member of the caucus.
Alday told the Desoto Times Tribune that he plans to go before the state house of representatives to apologize when he returns to the capitol. His trip there on Monday was postponed because of inclement weather.
Alday told the paper: “I’m not a racist. I’m not a bad person. I want to apologize to everyone to make it right. It’s just a mess.”
