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Too many young people still leave Mississippi to chase opportunities elsewhere. MCPP is on a mission to help change that – by creating the conditions for real, sustained growth so our children and grandchildren choose to stay, build lives, and thrive right here in our state.
The good news? Mississippi is no longer a laggard, but leading.
Thanks to free-market reforms, we’re now one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. Over the past five years, we’ve seen more economic growth than in the previous 15 combined. In 2024, Mississippi ranked #2 nationally in real GDP growth. Historic tax cuts have put more money back in families’ pockets, flexible labor laws and affordable energy have attracted over $40 billion in investments since 2020, and fiscal discipline has kept us on solid ground.
Building on this remarkable momentum, the Mississippi Center for Public Policy recently launched our latest paper at an event in Jackson: Mississippi Momentum: A Blueprint for Lasting Prosperity.
This blueprint outlines targeted, practical reforms to accelerate our progress and secure long-term prosperity. Key proposals include:
- Universal school choice through a phased-in Education Savings Account (ESA) program – starting with thousands of students and expanding to make every family empowered to choose the best education path for their child.
- Healthcare freedom by partially repealing Certificate-of-Need (CON) laws and granting full practice authority to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses – reducing costs by up to 15% and improving access, especially in rural areas.
- Conservative spending to limit government growth to inflation plus population increases, protecting our tax cuts and generating surpluses for future relief or priorities.
- Welfare-to-work requirements for able-bodied adults on TANF and SNAP, promoting self-reliance and drawing on successful models from other states.
- Merit-based procurement reforms to ensure transparent, competitive public contracts focused on price, quality, and expertise – ending favoritism and waste.
These ideas are already shaping the policy conversation in Mississippi. Many of the reforms outlined in this blueprint are now central to debates at the Capitol. While important work remains, the direction is clear: Mississippi can continue to grow faster, compete harder, and lead the nation in pro-growth reform.
Readers can access the full “Mississippi Momentum: A Blueprint for Lasting Prosperity” at mspolicy.org/publications/msmomentum/
I hope you find our latest paper inspiring and useful.
As someone who moved 4,000 miles with my family to make our home in the Magnolia State, I am more certain than ever that Mississippi can lead the way for other states in America to follow.
Douglas Carswell is the President and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.
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