With Tate Reeves at the helm, Mississippi can continue breaking down barriers: Column

This November, we can ensure our state remains on a path toward expanding opportunity and eliminating barriers that prevent Mississippians from realizing their full potential by supporting Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves for governor.

During his tenure in the No. 2 job, Reeves has repeatedly and firmly said “no” to special interests who wanted to raise taxes and increase government spending. A fearless advocate for smaller government, he will take the tough stands that create economic opportunity for all.  This is precisely the type of courageous leadership we need to make Mississippi a destination for the entrepreneurs and innovators who bring prosperity in their wake.

Among Reeves’ biggest accomplishments was working with Gov. Phil Bryant to enact the largest tax cut in state history. Thanks to his efforts, taxpayers can save, spend and invest more of their hard-earned dollars as they see fit.

Cutting taxes is also critical to increasing Mississippi’s competitiveness and creating the economic conditions to attract job creators. There is evidence to suggest that this approach is working. A recent study by the Mississippi Center for Public Policy found that payrolls are rising.

And, just last month, Amazon included Mississippi in the top 10 states with the fastest-growing small- and medium-sized businesses selling in Amazon’s stores.

Attracting job creators will also require important reforms in our educational system.

While we can customize just about everything in our daily lives – from the TV shows we watch to the news we read to the online shopping outlets we visit -- our educational system continues to operate under a one-size-fits-all approach. When this happens, we deprive every student the ability to develop their skills and discover their passion to live fulfilling and successful lives.

Last year, Reeves supported a plan to expand education scholarship accounts so more Mississippi families would be able to use a portion of per-student funding on education-related expenses like school supplies and tutoring. ESAs are extremely popular because they empower parents to find the educational option that will allow their kids to flourish.

Legislation that would have expanded ESAs fell short in Jackson last year, but Reeves has said expanding educational freedom will be a priority when he is governor.

Reeves has also been a champion of reforming our state’s criminal justice system. Not long ago, lawmakers from across the ideological spectrum campaigned on being “tough on crime.” But over the years, research has shown that, for non-violent crimes, substance abuse rehabilitation, education programs and improved job prospects have proven far more effective at reducing recidivism rates than harsh prison sentences.

That is the thinking that led to enactment of criminal justice reform legislation in 2014, 2018 and this year. Thanks to the support for Gov. Bryant, Lt. Gov. Reeves, Speaker Philip Gunn and lawmakers from both parties, Mississippi joined the growing number of states going from “tough on crime” to “smart on crime.” These reforms are working. A Pew Charitable Trusts study found that between 2014 and 2017, Mississippi’s prison population and imprisonment rate declined by 10 percent, saving Mississippi taxpayers $266 million in prison spending – all while keeping Mississippi communities safe.

These successes are the result of leadership. We’ve made a lot of progress, but there’s still plenty of work to be done to ensure that Mississippi becomes an even better place to work, live and raise a family. With Tate Reeves at the helm, we would be well-positioned to continue breaking down barriers to opportunity.

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Trey Dellinger is a senior advisor to Americans for Prosperity Action.