A hopeful horizon is ahead of Mississippi if Governor Tate Reeves remarks during his second inaugural address are to be believed. Reeves spoke before a crowd of elected officials, international dignitaries, and the public about his hope for Mississippi outside the capitol building on Tuesday January 9, 2023.

Reeves started his speech by thanking various individuals, including Reeve’s wife and other family members, the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court Michael K. Randolph and all Mississippians. He was thankful that voters in the Magnolia State took a chance on a young, Republican banker such as himself when he ran for office in 2003.

Reeves also promised to be a governor for all Mississippians regardless of if they had voted for him or not. He went on to state that the common quality of all Mississippians is being committed to each other.

Through numerous natural disasters and challenges, Reeves purports, the people of Mississippi have become stronger. And throughout his first term, he proposes his actions have made Mississippi better. He also discussed the economic growth and development propelled during his administration, citing historic gains in workforce training. According to Site Selection Magazine, those efforts bypassed Texas and Louisiana in 2023. The record-breaking economic investment also included one of the Magnolia State’s most significant economic development deals.

Reeves mentioned how four years ago, he advocated for teacher raises, securing one of the largest in the state’s history. He was referring to House Bill 530, which he signed in 2022, which increased the average teachers pay by over $5,000 dollars per year.

“We went from 49th to 21st in fourth grade reading, from dead last to 23rd in fourth grade math, and we were among the top 5 in the entire nation when it came to fourth grade reading test scores for African American students,” the governor added.

Looking toward the next four years, he aims to focus on not only retaining teachers in the state, but also the children who are products of the Mississippi educational system.

“Mississippi minds dominate some of the top positions in government, business, and entertainment across the country…” Reeves said. “They made other places better – and we missed out on all they could have done here at home.”

Reeves also mentioned that he intends to help Mississippians by further expanding the Pro-Life Agenda Mississippi.

Additionally, Reeves said he wants to, “protect the rights of parents and…protect our kids…proudly defend our culture and our way of life…make Mississippi the safest state in the entire nation and [as well as] relentlessly recruit new jobs not just to our prosperous counties but to all our communities.”

The governor hopes to continue his work to make sure Mississippi beams with pride through momentum he touted regarding his first term.

And he hopes to use it as an asset, saying, “We ain’t done yet.”