Part two of the series with the party chairmen, host Grant Callen sat down with the recently elected chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, Mike Hurst. A Newton County native, Mike discussed growing up in rural Mississippi, raising a large family, and the momentum Mississippi has. Grant read different sections of the GOP and Democratic party platforms and Mike shared his thoughts. As expected, Mike found plenty to disagree with the Democratic party platform, but also surprised himself by finding agreement with a few areas. If you want to understand the core differences between the two parties, this episode is for you. And stick around to the end of the episode to hear Mike’s bold prediction about who will be the Democratic nominee for President this year. Tune in! 

Show notes:  

Mississippi Republican Party Platform

Mississippi Democratic Party Platform

Part one of a two-part series with the party chairmen, host Grant Callen sat down with State Representative, Cheikh Taylor, newly reelected Chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party. The Starkville native, with his community in mind and the backing of his predecessor, Rep. Tyrone Ellis, ran in 2018 to represent the 38th district in the Mississippi House. Taylor hopes that through his public service he will leave Mississippi better for the next generation and a place where everyone is given the opportunity to achieve the American dream. Callen and Taylor discussed the ups and downs of the past legislative session, the bills he authored, voting rights for people convicted of nonviolent felonies, school choice, and the passage of the new education funding formula. Tune in!

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 party during the reelection campaign of President Ronald Reagan. Andy served as Chief of Staff to Governor Kirk Fordice, the first Republican to win the Governor’s Mansion since Reconstruction, served on the Madison County Board of Supervisors, and ran for Attorney General in 2019. And Andy was a key voice in the move to replace Mississippi’s state flag. In this episode, we discuss all this, Andy’s perspective on Trump, the changes within the national Republican Party and conservative movement, and his advice for young conservatives just starting out in politics. Don’t miss this episode.

Show notes:

Book: Mississippi Politics: The Struggle for Power, 1976-2006 by Jere Nash and Andy Taggart

Book: Mississippi Fried Politics: Tall Tales from the Back Rooms by Jere Nash and Andy Taggart

The 2024 Legislative Session has come to an end with the passage of some significant bills and some surprising defeats. Although, depending on who you ask, one person’s defeat is usually another person’s win. The legislative process is designed so that it’s a lot easier to kill bills than to pass them, and that’s a good thing. That dynamic certainly played out this year.

In this episode, host Grant Callen interviews Wil Ervin, Senior Vice President of Empower Mississippi, about the good, the bad, and the ugly from this session. We discussed the biggest headlines, including the new education funding formula, Medicaid expansion, PERS Reform, and the ballot initiative legislation. We also cover everything Empower worked on this session within our three areas of policy focus: education, work, and justice. Stick around to the end to hear Wil’s predictions about what issues are likely to come back in 2025.

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 Kelly, Hall ran for office with a goal of seeing Mississippi live up to its potential. Hall is a committed conservative with big ideas about how to improve the Magnolia State. 

In this episode, host, Grant Callen, and Representative Hall discuss Hall’s goals to help Mississippi’s economy prosper through cutting red tape, how to improve Mississippi’s labor force participation rate, the need for school choice for all Mississippi families, and why it’s important that we give ex-offenders a path to rebuild their lives. Tune in! 

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 hotel. In this episode, she shares about growing up in West Jackson, shopping at Metrocenter Mall, and watching Soul Train on Saturday mornings. We discussed crime, the Capitol Complex Improvement District, Mississippi’s labor force woes, charter schools, and the House’s proposed education funding formula. Tune in for a conversation about the top issues facing the state from one of Jackson’s brightest rising stars.

 “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 think that Schoolhouse Rock taught you everything you need to know about how an idea becomes law, but the process is a lot more involved. Before his retirement, Bob Davidson served as Chief Counsel for the Mississippi Senate and Director of the Senate Legislative Services for over 40 years. The institutional knowledge he has and stories he can tell is truly remarkable. Forest Thigpen, Empower Senior Advisor, sat down with Davidson for a fascinating conversation. After which, Grant Callen ​​talked with Thigpen about the interview and the bill drafting process from a lobbyist’s perspective. Tune in to this episode for some colorful stories and a behind the scenes look at the real legislative process.

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 extensively. On this show we do a deep dive into the origins of Medicaid Expansion, how it fits into the Affordable Care Act, and why some are clamoring for Mississippi to join the 40 other states who have already expanded their Medicaid programs. We talk about the financial challenges facing PERS and a few of the ideas to reform PERS that legislative leaders are considering this session. If you’re following the headlines and want to understand more about why these topics are garnering so much attention this session, this episode is for you.

We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think of the podcast at [email protected].

Show Notes:

– Column: “We need out-of-the-box thinking to address Mississippi’s healthcare woes” by Gerard Gibert

– Column: “Analysis: PERS is the elephant in the room” by Gerard Gibert

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 – most notably his uncle Haley Barbour and former Texas Governor Rick Perry – and has become a savvy political operative that has demonstrated his ability to win elections and issue campaigns across the country.

I invited him on the podcast to get his perspective on the craziness of our national political scene, what it’s been like to serve on the RNC during this very tumultuous era, and to discuss the 2024 presidential election. I have long respected Barbour for his bridge-building approach to politics, the “politics of addition, not division,” as he put it, and this conversation did not disappoint. Tune in to learn why he’s not a fan of former President Trump but is supporting him in November nonetheless.

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 governance. We explore the dignity of work, economic challenges, education, and criminal justice reform. The episode culminates in an examination of House Bill 585, a measure that was enacted nearly a decade ago, but has never been fully implemented. 

Join us for an engaging discussion on legislative priorities and your role in shaping the state's future.