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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 Dr. Jennifer Doleac: What Actually Deters Crime? Public safety is foundational to strong communities, but too often, the policies we rely on to reduce crime are driven more by intuition than evidence. As Mississippi and states across the country look for ways to build safer neighborhoods, it’s worth asking a simple question:…
Written by Empower Mississippi Rep. Sam Creekmore: Chasing Lions in Healthcare In this episode of The Empower Podcast, host Grant Callen sits down with State Representative Sam Creekmore, chairman of the House Public Health and Human Services Committee, for a wide-ranging conversation about the major healthcare issues facing Mississippi. From certificate of need reform and rural…
Written by Empower Mississippi Dr. Clay Routledge: Meaning, Purpose, and Flourishing In this episode of The Empower Podcast, host Grant Callen sits down with Dr. Clay Routledge, Executive Vice President of the Archbridge Institute and Director of the Human Flourishing Lab, to explore what really makes life meaningful and why that matters for public policy in…
Written by Empower Mississippi Aaron Rice: Defending the Constitution in Uniform and in Court What does it look like to defend the Constitution with your life, and then keep defending it with your career? In this episode, Grant sits down with Aaron Rice, a Mississippi Marine and Purple Heart recipient who was wounded in Iraq and…
Written by Empower Mississippi Dr. John Dixon: Charter Schools, Choice, and Accountability As the 2026 legislative session moves forward, the conversation around school choice continues to intensify. While much of the focus has been on ESAs and public school transfers, one form of public school choice has quietly served thousands of Mississippi families for years: public…
Written by Empower Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves: Momentum and Good Policy In this episode of the Empower Podcast, Grant Callen sits down with Governor Tate Reeves for a wide-ranging conversation about the state’s growing momentum and what comes next. Recorded from the Governor’s office overlooking the State Capitol, the discussion explores why Mississippi is climbing national…
Capitol Chat Library
Written by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 13 The 2026 legislative session is over… or is it? We break down the budget, education legislation, and a host of other bills that made it across the finish line during a busy week at the Capitol.
Written by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 12 In this Conference Weekend Edition of Capitol Chat, we break down key dates and legislative processes for the remaining 9 days of the 2026 Session. We also dive into the latest on teacher pay raises, PBM reform, a controversial veto, and banning lab-grown milk.
Written by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 11 With only a few weeks remaining in the 2026 legislative session, lawmakers are narrowing their focus. This week, we take a look at three issues dominating discussions at the Capitol and what’s on the horizon as the 2026 session winds down.
Written by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 10 At the Mississippi Capitol, nothing is truly dead until it’s dead, dead, dead. This week’s episode features the resurrection of teacher pay raises, movement on pharmacy benefit manager reform, and the latest on a controversial NIL tax proposal.
Written by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 9 With only 30 days remaining in the 2026 legislative session, we cover some of the hottest topics at the Capitol: NIL, teacher pay, and school choice.
Written by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 8 As another committee deadline approaches, some bills are gaining steam while others quietly stall. In this week’s episode, we unpack a significant school choice–adjacent tax credit bill, a proposed workforce initiative, and a handful of other bills that could either advance or die in the coming days.