The economic news as of late hasn’t been great. Credit card debt is at record levels. Gas prices remain high. Interest rates are at a standstill. In the middle of that uncertainty, though, Mississippi received some encouraging news.This month, S&P Global Credit Ratings upgraded Mississippi’s credit
When you see a parent today, tell them about this exciting news: They now have a new tool to prepare their children for financial success. Last year’s tax cuts law provides a free $1,000 investment account to all Americans born from 2025 through 2028. And for every child in Mississippi born from 201
I voted in my first presidential election at the age of 18. My birthday that year fell ten days before our high school graduation.During my last semester of high school, I took the required civics/government class. One of our test scores was based on registering to vote. I did so and received the pr
A decade ago, Mississippi’s economic momentum wasn’t a given. Today, we’re seeing the results of sustained effort by state leaders and partners focused on long-term growth. The Magnolia State is among the leading states in real GDP growth and wage growth, and has recorded one of the lowest unemploym
Every few years, it seems some folks wake up one morning and decide the real problem in Mississippi is that citizens know too much about what their government is doing.This is one of those years.The Mississippi Public Records and Open Meetings Acts are called our “Sunshine Laws” for good reason. The
Mississippi could be a catalyst in the next great human advancement – the data and AI race with China. This month, SpaceX and xAI founder Elon Musk declared space the next battleground in this competition, envisioning orbital data centers powered by endless solar energy and made possible by Starship
America’s economy is entering a new phase: one that requires enormous amounts of reliable electricity. Artificial intelligence, data centers, advanced manufacturing, military installations, and modern infrastructure all depend on power that is available every hour of every day, no matter the weather
Enough. Enough with the excuses. Enough with the silos. Enough with defending the status quo and pretending that steady, extraordinarily incremental progress in Coastal Mississippi is good enough for a region with our assets, our location, and our history.The complacency we see around this gathering
December can be decision season for Mississippi families. As students receive semester grades and begin planning for life after graduation, one question rises to the top: How do we afford college without a lifetime of student debt?The answer is clear. Mississippi’s community colleges offer the lowes
Last week, the Mississippi Development Authority did something unprecedented with the recommendations surrounding remaining BP oil spill settlement funds: Executive Director Bill Cork reviewed the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund Advisory Board’s carefully ranked list of 16 projects, kept three smaller o
As we look to the future of Mississippi, there is a huge challenge ahead that must be prioritized and tackled – sooner rather than later. The State of Mississippi’s commitment to our State employees and retirees in the PERS system is unquestionable; it is a covenant the State has made with its emplo
Two days after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, with no phones and no power, Gov. Haley Barbour and I finally connected on a satellite phone. I offered one of the only things still standing that I controlled at the time: the conference room at the Sun Herald in Gulfport. I sent employees out in four
America’s 50 states have been described as laboratories for different policies. The late Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said almost one-hundred years ago that “[i]t is one of the happy incidents of the federal system that a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a labora
When Mississippi decided to legalize sports betting on a restricted basis back in 2018, we didn’t do it on a whim. We took our time, did it right, and built a system that makes sense for our people — not for politicians in Washington.We set up strong rules. Our Gaming Commission keeps a close eye on
I know what it feels like to be young, angry, and convinced that violence is the answer. I have been there. Decades ago, I fell in with the most radical wing of the Ku Klux Klan. I believed their tirades, followed their orders, and thought I was serving some greater cause. What I really did was thro
Last weekend, our state was rocked by a wave of violent crime. Over the course of twenty-four hours, five shootings claimed the lives of at least nine Mississippians. While these horrific acts do not appear to be connected, they are alarming nevertheless. Words like horrific, tragic, and avoidable a
This is a hard message to write. At a time when we are all so excited in Natchez about our 40th Balloon Festival and the beauty of fall in our historic city, the oldest city on the highest bluff of the mightiest river, my heart hurts for those across our state who have been affected recently by viol
Few topics in education stir as much passion as school choice. On the surface, the idea sounds simple and appealing: give families state dollars and let them decide where to send their children to school. But beneath that slogan are serious consequences for Mississippi’s children, communities, and f
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Cybersecurity is a hot topic for the insurance sector today and a growing concern for many businesses. Businesses, large and small, should consider cyber insurance as part of their risk management process. Cybersecurity is a risk that all carriers should tak
Over a casual lunch recently, I got an earful from a local business leader about the undercurrents in Jackson County that quiet resistance to more industrial growth is happening because folks fear it will spark a talent raid on their existing teams. I also hear various economic development entities
Rarely, if ever, do our nation’s most complex public policy problems have a singular cause. Such is the case of rising power bills across the country, and the misleading narrative that electricity is becoming more costly solely because of the growth of the data center industry.For starters, consider
I hope this finds you well, in a reflective mood, scrolling on social media, and pausing on something that doesn’t just confirm what you already think. We haven’t talked since the presidential election, and I’m not writing to rekindle our connections or have the same old debates, especially now.But
Think of NASA’s Stennis Space Center, and one likely thinks of rocket propulsion testing. The site has a long history of testing to support the nation’s space efforts, including the current Artemis program to send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars.However, NASA S
Mississippi stands at a pivotal crossroads in shaping its economic and educational future. The upcoming Ascent to 55% Convening on October 15–16 at the Jackson Convention Complex provides a unique opportunity to unite education, business, and community leaders in a collective effort to strengthen ou
