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Welcome To The Empower Podcast
Empower Mississippi is committed to helping all Mississippians rise by removing barriers to opportunity. In this podcast, we talk with state and national experts about ways the Magnolia State can grow and thrive. These conversations help shape the debate for future legislative sessions and highlight policy changes that are necessary to make Mississippi the best place in America to live, work, and raise a family.
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Interview Library
Written by Empower Mississippi Jere Nash: Reconstruction in Mississippi On this episode, host Grant Callen sits down with historian Jere Nash, a Greenville native, retired political consultant, and co-author of award-winning books. Jere’s latest work, Reconstruction in Mississippi, 1862-1877, offers a definitive look at a pivotal era. We discuss why Jere chose to explore Reconstruction, debunk common…
Listen NowWritten by Empower Mississippi Rebekah Staples: Work Work Work More than just a paycheck, work is the foundation of prosperity and the pathway to earned success. This week, host Grant Callen sits down with Rebekah Staples President & Founder of Free State Strategies and a Contributing Fellow at Empower Mississippi. Hailing from The Free State of…
Listen NowWritten by Empower Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch: Breaking Barriers & Defending Life On this episode, host Grant Callen sits down with Mississippi’s 40th Attorney General Lynn Fitch. A Holly Springs native, General Fitch has 35 years in public and private legal service, made history as the state’s first female Attorney General, and earned national recognition…
Listen NowWritten by Empower Mississippi Mike Hurst: School Choice Showdown With Speaker Jason White and Governor Tate Reeves signaling school choice as the top priority for the 2026 legislative session, momentum is building—but so is the opposition. On this episode, host Grant Callen sits down with the Chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party for a deep dive…
Listen NowWritten by Empower Mississippi Speaker Jason White: Education Freedom and Mississippi’s Future Fresh off his speech at the Neshoba County Fair, Mississippi’s 62nd Speaker of the House, Jason White joins host Grant Callen for this episode of the Empower Podcast. We recap his fair speech and talk about the experience of walking out on that storied…
Listen NowWritten by Empower Mississippi Former Speaker Philip Gunn: Faith, Resilience, and Leadership In this episode, host Grant Callen sits down with former Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn to trace his journey from Clinton’s small-town roots to state leadership. Gunn shares how a personal tragedy at Ole Miss Law upended his life, yet God’s faithfulness sustained him,…
Listen NowCapitol Chat Library
Written by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Special Session Lawmakers were called into Special Session to adopt a $7.135 billion budget for State Fiscal Year 2026 after failing to adopt a budget during the 2025 regular session. Although it lasted only two days, the Special Session was not without drama and excitement. We break down all the…
Listen NowWritten by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 13 In the Sine Die episode of Capitol Chat, we’re wrapping up the 2025 legislative session, which finished a bit ahead of schedule. However, lawmakers did not agree on a budget before adjourning, which means a special session is on the horizon. We break down the key details,…
Listen NowWritten by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 12 The countdown is on! Only 9 days remain in the legislative session. This week, the Governor signed House Bill 1 into law, and this weekend is crunch time on appropriations and revenue bills. All that, and more, on this week’s episode of Capitol Chat.
Listen NowWritten by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 11 A little luck of the Irish helped push an income tax elimination bill over the finish line this week. We’ll dive into House Bill 1 and what it means for you, as well as what’s next in the legislative session, on this week’s episode of Capitol Chat.
Listen NowWritten by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 10 Week 10 was filled with excitement and acronyms! On this week’s episode we cover DEI, PBMs, and THC, as well as everything else you need to know from this week at your state Capitol.
Listen NowWritten by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 9 Dead or alive? That’s the key question this week as another big deadline has come and gone. With yet another key deadline on the horizon, we’ll highlight some of the bills that are still moving forward this session – at least for now.
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