Archive for March 2024
SB 2689: Replace end of course tests with national testing options
Senate Bill 2689, sponsored by Sen. Dennis DeBar, would remove the public school graduation requirement that students must pass certain standardized end-of-course tests created by the state Department of Education. Instead, they would be required to pass a nationally recognized exam, such as the ACT. The bill would call upon the Mississippi Department of Education…
Read MoreHB 1609: Restore voting rights of former non-violent offenders
House Bill 1609, sponsored by Rep. Kabir Karriem, would automatically restore the voting rights of those who have served time for certain non-violent convictions. Under the proposal, Mississippi’s long list of disenfranchising crimes would be narrowed and those who have been found guilty of non-violent offenses and completed their sentence will have their voting rights…
Read MoreDoes Every Crime Deserve a Life Sentence?
Mississippi has a poverty problem. We are the poorest state in the union by a wide margin. We have the lowest gross domestic product, lowest per-capita income, and highest number of people living in poverty. The causes of our poverty are complex and generational. We didn’t arrive here quickly, and we won’t get out quickly,…
Read MoreEmpower Mississippi Announces New Chairman of the Board
Ridgeland, MS – March 20, 2024 – Empower Mississippi announces the election of Abb Payne as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors. Payne will succeed Gerard Gibert, who has served with distinction in the role for the last ten years. Gibert announced his decision to step down as Chairman at the March 18,…
Read More