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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 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…
Written by Empower Mississippi Henry Barbour, Republican National Committeeman from Yazoo City For the last 19 years, Henry Barbour has served as Committeeman from Mississippi on the Republican National Committee, a role that has given him a front row seat to the American political scene, and not just as an observer. He’s advised presidents and governors…
Written by Empower Mississippi State Senator Daniel Sparks, Chairman, Economic and Workforce Development Committee First elected to the State Senate in 2019, Senator Sparks has distinguished himself as one of the smartest and most hard-working lawmakers in the building. In this conversation, Senator Sparks discusses the intersection of policy and people, emphasizing the importance of human-centered…
Written by Empower Mississippi Dr. Matthew Ladner: What Can Arizona Teach Mississippi about empowering parents? In this episode, Dr. Matthew Ladner, Senior Advisor at the Center for Education Policy at the Heritage Foundation, shares about Arizona’s journey with school choice. Arizona passed the first education savings account (ESA) program in the nation in 2011 for students…
Written by Empower Mississippi State Auditor Shad White: Fatherlessness, Labor Woes, School Choice, and Public Safety In this episode, host Grant Callen sits down with Mississippi’s 42nd State Auditor, Shad White. They discuss Mississippi’s incredible cultural and economic advantages and our challenges, like our low Labor Force Participation Rate and our high number of unwed mothers.…
Capitol Chat Library
Written by Empower Mississippi Capitol Chat: Sine Die Lawmakers returned to Jackson expecting veto overrides, but what followed was one of the more unusual endings to a legislative session in recent memory. We unpack the final day’s twists, the political fallout, and close the book on the 2026 session.
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.