Baby bust’s effect on public schools
Mississippi public school enrollment is set to steadily shrink. In 2007, Mississippi had 46,455 births, about 127 per day. In...
Change laws. Change lives.
Karrece spent her years as a young girl at the feet of her grandmothers watching them apply makeup. She followed...
Life changing reforms are winning the day
This week the Empower team was in Atlanta for State Policy Network’s Annual Meeting. SPN works alongside a national network of independent...
Empower reacts to charter board approving only one new charter
Today, the Mississippi Charter Authorizer Board approved one new charter application and denied four others, including denying a strong application...
Why has charter school progress been slow?
As we approach the 10-year anniversary of Mississippi approving charter schools, we remain excited for the kids who have been...
Lawsuit filed to stop student loan cancellation
A month after President Joe Biden announced plans to cancel a substantial portion of student loan debt, a lawsuit has...
Mississippi part of growing flat tax trend
Earlier this year, Mississippi lawmakers adopted legislation that will institute a 4 percent flat tax in the state. The Mississippi...
What charter school rankings really show
New school rankings show Leflore Legacy Academy Charter School in Greenwood, in only its second year of operation, was rated...
Mississippi’s regulations lead to fewer jobs, more poverty
New data shows that federal regulations have led to more people living in poverty, greater income inequality, fewer businesses, less...
Crime spike not due to prison reforms
Suggestions that the recent spike in homicides is due to recent statewide criminal justice reforms are not supported by evidence....
Are our schools doing better or worse?
We’ve seen conflicting reports on progress in Mississippi’s schools. This week, scores for all states on the National Assessment of...
Empower releases 2023 impact report
2023 was a year to build for Empower Mississippi. We invested in all three of our focus areas – EDUCATION, WORK and JUSTICE – and secured significant wins for Mississippi this year, while building...
HB 872: Expand the Fresh Start Act
House Bill 872, sponsored by Rep. Tracey Rosebud, expands the provisions of the Fresh Start Act to make it applicable to more Mississippi licensure types. The purpose of this bill is to make it...
HB 872: Expand the Fresh Start Act
House Bill 872, sponsored by Rep. Tracey Rosebud, expands the provisions of the Fresh Start Act to make it applicable to more Mississippi licensure types. The purpose of this bill is to make it...
SB 2079: Full practice authority for nurse practitioners
Senate Bill 2079, authored by Sen. Kevin Blackwell, would provide full practice authority to nurse practitioners in Mississippi. Currently, a nurse practitioner is required to enter into a collaborative agreement with a physician. This...
HB 821: Full practice authority for nurse practitioners
House Bill 821, authored by Rep. Donnie Scoggin, would provide full practice authority to nurse practitioners in Mississippi. Currently, a nurse practitioner is required to enter into a collaborative agreement with a physician. This...
SB 2234: Make it easier for students to move between public schools
Senate Bill 2234, sponsored by Sen. Chris Johnson, would allow students to transfer to public schools outside of their residentially assigned school district. The bill would make it easier for students to move between...
SB 2234: Make it easier for students to move between public schools
Senate Bill 2234, sponsored by Sen. Chris Johnson, would allow students to transfer to public schools outside of their residentially assigned school district. The bill would make it easier for students to move between...
HB 867: Make it easier for students to move between public schools
House Bill 867, sponsored by Rep. Jansen Owen, would allow students to more easily transfer to schools outside of their school district, further enabling them to access the education setting that works best for...
HB 867: Make it easier for students to move between public schools
House Bill 867, sponsored by Rep. Jansen Owen, would allow students to more easily transfer to schools outside of their school district, further enabling them to access the education setting that works best for...
Hattiesburg Art Alliance
Local Charities
Things To Do
Local Dining