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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 Andy Taggart: Forty Years In Mississippi Politics Taking the Empower Podcast on the road, host Grant Callen traveled to Ocean Springs to sit down with Andy Taggart to discuss his forty years in Mississippi politics. Andy’s political career started as Political Director at the Mississippi Republican Party, then Executive Director of the…
Written by Empower Mississippi 2024 Legislative Session Recap with Wil Ervin The 2024 Legislative Session has finally come to a close. As we look back at this 125+ day session, there were some really good bills passed, but there were also a lot of things left on the table. Generally, we saw a lot of progress made across…
Written by Empower Mississippi State Rep. Rodney Hall: Military Leader to the Mississippi Capitol When he was sworn into office in January, Rodney Hall became the first black Republican to serve in the Mississippi House of Representatives since the Reconstruction Era. With nearly 20 years of military service and experience as Legislative Director for Congressman Trent…
Written by Empower Mississippi State Rep. Zakiya Summers: Jackson Roots Run Deep Elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 2019, Summers serves on the County Affairs, Drug Policy, Technology, Tourism, and Workforce Development Committees. Her Jackson roots run deep, as her grandfather, William Bill Summers, owned and operated The Summers Hotel, the city’s first black-owned…
Written by Empower Mississippi Bob Davidson and Forest Thigpen: How an Idea Becomes Law “That’s the last time I’m going to vote for a bill that I’m against!” shouted a 1970’s era Mississippi State Senator from the well of the Senate. In this episode, longtime bill drafter Bob Davidson shares this story and others. You may…
Written by Empower Mississippi Gerard Gibert: Medicaid Expansion and PERS Reform Two of the top issues being debated this legislative session are Medicaid Expansion and ways to reform PERS, Mississippi’s Public Employees Retirement System. From his 33 years in business and now his seat behind the SuperTalk radio microphone, Gerard Gibert has covered these two issues…
Capitol Chat Library
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.
Written by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 7 It was a budget-heavy week under the Dome, with more than 100 appropriations bills clearing a critical hurdle. We unpack the latest on education funding, the lingering school choice conversation, and what to watch as the session heads toward its next deadline.
Written by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Week 6 From floor votes to a few “spirited” House measures, Week 6 had a little bit of everything. We break down the education bills still moving, the buzz around a recent voice vote, and what’s brewing as lawmakers eye the next big deadline.