(The Center Square) – Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves was sworn in for a second term on Tuesday and said in his inaugural address that his administration wants to tackle “brain drain” and the state’s economy in his second term.
The Republican, who beat former Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley in the November general election with nearly 51% of the vote, preached unity after taking the oath of office.
“The fact is that everything we do, we do together,” Reeves said. “There is no Black Mississippi or white Mississippi. There is no red Mississippi or blue Mississippi. There is only one Mississippi – and it is Mississippi Forever.”
Reeves touted the state’s largest tax cut that included a phased elimination of the state’s corporate franchise tax and the phased elimination of the two lowest brackets of the state’s income tax. He also talked about the teacher pay hikes he’s signed into law and the state’s K-12 education progress.
One of the biggest issues Reeves tackled in his address was “brain drain,” or the loss of younger people to job opportunities in other states. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Mississippi lost 13,944 residents and was ranked 33rd in terms of population gain or loss between April 1, 2020, and July 1.
“For too many decades, Mississippi’s most valuable export has not been our cotton, or even our culture. It’s been our kids,” Reeves said. “Mississippi minds dominate some of the top positions in government, business, and entertainment across the country. They carry with them the pride and grit that is engrained in every Mississippian. They made other places better – and we missed out on all they could have done here at home.
“My goal is not just to ensure that Mississippi is a source of pride, but that it can be the place where they achieve their fortune and dominance in their field.”
He also talked about how the state is luring businesses to the state under his watch, like the Steel Dynamics’ $2 billion aluminum project in Lowndes County, the largest economic development deal in state history, dwarfing both Nissan (Canton) and Toyota (Blue Springs).
“Together, we secured record-breaking economic investment, which included the single largest economic deal in state history,” Reeves said. “And you ain’t seen nothing yet! We’ve got some big things coming. Projects that will fundamentally change lives and transform our state for the better.”
