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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
Wil Ervin: A look at 2025 Happy New Year! The start of the 2025 Legislative Session is only six days away, so host Grant Callen sat down with Wil Ervin, Empower’s own Tim Russert, to break down what we can expect from the coming session. Tax reform, Medicaid expansion, ballot initiative, and school choice are…
Listen NowSpeaker Jason White: 2025 Legislative Priorities + BONUS Clip On Mississippi’s 207th birthday, Empower Mississippi hosted its 4th annual Solution Summit at the Sheraton Hotel in Flowood. At the Summit, host Grant Callen sat down with Mississippi’s 62nd Speaker of the House, Jason White, to discuss his vision for policy change and his 2025 legislative priorities. They talked…
Listen NowSpencer Ritchie: Indictments and Hope for The City with Soul On November 6, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, and Jackson Councilman Aaron Banks were indicted on federal bribery charges. A few months earlier, Jackson City Councilwoman Angelique Lee resigned from office and pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. …
Listen NowAlesha Judkins: Public Safety, Crime, and Second Chances This week, host Grant Callen sat down with Alesha Judkins, Mississippi State Director at FWD.us to discuss Mississippi’s criminal justice system and our high imprisonment rate – the highest in the nation. Alesha has over 16 years of criminal justice advocacy in Mississippi and Alabama. Alesha and…
Listen NowLucien Smith: Prognostications and Punditry This week, Empower’s Senior Vice President, Wil Ervin, took over the Empower Podcast and sat down with Lucien Smith to talk all things politics – from the 2024 national election to the Mississippi governor’s race and everything in between. Smith is certainly no stranger to Mississippi politics – he has…
Listen NowBill Crawford: Former GOP lawmaker, Syndicated Columnist, and Now Published Author This week, host Grant Callen sat down with columnist Bill Crawford to discuss his recently published book “A Republican’s Lament: Mississippi Needs Good Government Conservatives.” Callen and Crawford talked about why Crawford got involved in Mississippi politics in the 1970s and the profound influence…
Listen NowCapitol Chat Library
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, potential impact, and…
Listen Now 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 Now 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 Now 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 NowCapitol 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.
Listen Now Capitol Chat: Week 8 Taxes, taxes, taxes. That and other news from the Capitol this week, including a new entry on “how a bill really becomes law – or doesn’t.”
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