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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 Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann: Whistle While You Work This week, we took the podcast on the road, recording in the beautiful Mississippi State Capitol. Host Grant Callen sat down with Mississippi’s 33rd Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann to discuss all things related to work and the Magnolia State’s economy. Historic low employment, record…
Written by Empower Mississippi David Bahnsen: Author of “Full-Time: Work and the Meaning of Life” The topic of “work” has been in the news a lot lately since Mississippi has record low unemployment and the lowest labor force participation rate in the nation. So, this week host, Grant Callen sat down with author, David Bahnsen, to…
Written by Empower Mississippi State Rep. Fred Shanks: Rankin Countian with Jackson Roots For this episode of the Empower Podcast, host Grant Callen sat down with State Rep. Fred Shanks, Chairman of the Rules Committee, to discuss nearly a dozen legislative topics including: the ballot initiative, suffrage bills, the new education funding formula, police officer safety…
Written by Empower Mississippi Jamie Holder: Small Towns, Population Shifts, and School Choice Bay Springs, Mississippi is like a lot of communities around the state, it has desirable schools and less desirable schools, but no meaningful avenue for parents to exercise school choice. According to Jamie Holder, President and CEO of Hol-Mac Corporation, that employs over…
Written by Empower Mississippi Russ Latino: Veepstakes, Punditry, and Neshoba Dust-ups It’s been a crazy few weeks in politics: an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate, Biden announced he is not running again, Trump picked his running mate, the RNC Convention occurred, and last week was Mississippi’s Giant House Party, the Neshoba County Fair, with all…
Written by Empower Mississippi Dr. Kymyona Burk: Mississippi’s Historic Literacy Gains This week, host Grant Callen sat down with Dr. Kymyona Burk, formerly the State Literacy Director at the Mississippi Department of Education, who oversaw implementation of the Literacy-Based Promotion Act of 2013, a bill championed by then Governor Phil Bryant. Often when great policy gets…
Capitol Chat Library
Written by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 4 A shortened week at the Capitol didn’t significantly stall progress ahead of a critical deadline next week. In this episode, we dive into the latest on House Bill 2 and highlight some intriguing bills that are already making their way through the legislative process.
Written by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 3 With an ice storm looming and the bill introduction deadline behind them, lawmakers shifted gears during week three of the legislative session. We highlight a few bills drawing early attention and break down this week’s action, including a couple of celebrity appearances and the latest on House Bill…
Written by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 2 A sweeping education bill, hours of debate, and a narrow House vote put school choice at the center of Week 2 action. In this edition of Capitol Chat, we unpack what happened with House Bill 2, take a quick look at early budget hearings, and highlight a few…
Written by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 1 Capitol Chat is back for the 2026 legislative session, which is off to a quick start after only one week! Host Wil Ervin highlights early Senate action on teacher pay and public school choice, a sweeping House education bill, and a major Senate proposal to shore up PERS, setting the…
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…
Written 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,…