As Gov. Tate Reeves begins his second term as governor, he will focus on finding more opportunities to attract people to the state and growing Mississippi's economy and health care sector, Reeves said in his inaugural address Tuesday.
Reeves was sworn in for his second term as governor on Tuesday at the Mississippi State Capitol Building before a crowd of lawmakers, state officials, guests and members of the public.
“Our goal has to be what I call Mississippi Forever,” Reeves said Tuesday. “I want to build a state where my daughters and all our sons and daughters can remain proud and raise their families. I want every child, from the Delta to the Coast, from Tishomingo to Tallahatchie, to grow up with the idea that they will forever be Mississippi. I want every child to have the opportunity for an education and a career that will enable them to be a Mississippian forever.”
Reeves told those in attendance that he wants to continue to advance economic development, workforce training and K-12 education, which he hopes will lead to more people choosing to either stay or move to the state pull.
“Mississippi’s most valuable export was neither our cotton nor our crops. They were our children,” Reeves said. “Mississippi minds dominate some of the top positions in government, business and entertainment across the country. They carry within them the pride and determination that is embedded in every Mississippian. They made other places better, and we missed everything they could have done here at home.”
Reeves first entered state politics in 2004 after being elected state treasurer. He held this position until 2012, when he was elected lieutenant governor under his predecessor, then-Gov. Phil Bryant. Reeves won the 2019 gubernatorial election against Democratic opponent Jim Hood and most recently won last year's gubernatorial election against Brandon Presley.
Grow the economy
During his address, Reeves said he plans to continue expanding capital investment in the state, which he said will create more jobs and opportunities for the state's residents.
Since Reeves took office in 2020, the state has attracted more than $6 billion in capital investments from companies looking to locate or expand their current operations in the state. Reeves said that trend will only increase in his second term.
“Together, we secured record-breaking economic investments, including the largest economic agreement in state history,” Reeves said. “And you haven’t seen anything yet. We have some big things ahead of us and projects that will transform lives and transform our state for the better.”
In October 2022, the state legislature passed economic incentives for Aluminum Dynamics, an aluminum flat rolling mill, to invest $2.5 billion in a new facility in Lowndes County. This investment was the state's largest single investment.
Reeves said he hopes to push for more tax cuts over the next four years.
“Let’s continue to provide tax relief to Mississippians and lift the burdens on their families,” Reeves said. “Let’s create change in our efforts to compete with the best.”
Reeves previously supported cuts and elimination of the state's personal income tax and signed Mississippi's largest tax cut ever in 2022.
Healthcare
Reeves said he hopes to provide Mississippians with more health care options and provide medical resources to more mothers. However, he did not elaborate on his plan to improve health care in the state.
In 2023, Reeves signed a post-partum Medicaid bill for mothers, with coverage ranging from 60 days to a year.
“We must recognize that health care costs continue to rise and access appears too limited,” he said. “…Let’s protect mothers and babies by further expanding the pro-life agenda – by making Mississippi the best place in America to have and raise a child.”
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