Job Growth and the Economy

Our ultimate goal should be to have a state tax environment that is equitable for everyone and conducive to economic prosperity so that government does not feel the need to “give away the farm” in order to have companies locate here. Instead, our focus needs to be on advocating for a renewed career and vocational training programs in order to increase the number of graduating seniors ready to go to work. Mississippians are some of the hardest working people in the world – we just need to give them the tools they need to succeed.

Far too many job-creators are turning to other states that offer no personal income tax, less regulation and a larger pool of qualified workers. Now, more than ever, we must position ourselves to be more economically attractive and job friendly to employers wanting to start or expand their business here. We can accomplish this by allowing them to become part of the solution, rather than just benefactors of our education efforts and by moving in the direction of a tax policy based on the premise of excise and sales tax, rather than income and high property tax.

The countless number of rules and regulations that come from all of our state agencies, boards, and commissions must be rolled back.  We need to enact sunset legislation forcing them to review all of their rules and regulations periodically or they repeal automatically.  We must also look into dismantling some unnecessary boards and commissions all together.  Right sizing government and empowering small business – not government, should be our top priority. Learn more

Education

As a public school graduate and parent, I believe we need to better support the education profession with competitive salaries, opportunities for growth, and reduce the testing burden so our teachers can do what they do best – teach.

In our high-performing school districts, we need to reward our administrators with more autonomy so they can continue achieving their high success rates at the direction of the local superintendent and school board, not MDE. These same districts need less micro-management from state-government so they can recruit the best educators for the job. We are losing good teachers to other states because of bureaucratic red-tape and uncompetitive compensation.

Our schools need to look much different. Someone who can take apart a complicated engine, diagnose a problem, fix it, and put it back together is no less educated than someone with a four-year professional degree – they are just educated in a different trade. Both are incredibly valuable to society and need to be given the proper dedication of resources early on to ensure success in their field of choice. Learn more

A Healthier Mississippi​

Our existing healthcare model is broken, and it seems no one is immune to its effects. Hard-working Mississippians, who are struggling to put food on the table, cannot afford basic healthcare. Medical providers are beyond frustrated with our current system, and hospitals are facing economic pressures at every angle, especially rural hospitals. It is going to take serious reform and common-sense solutions to get us there.

Mississippi must look beyond “how we’ve always done things”. We need to look to new innovation and basic free-market principles to lower costs, improve quality, and increase accessibility of healthcare for the hard-working people of our state.

We must also dismantle the bureaucratic Certificate of Need (C.O.N.) laws, which restrict the supply of critical healthcare facilities, equipment, and even procedures.   These monopolistic laws, which inflate the cost of both Medicaid and private insurance, are forcing rural hospitals and clinics to close shop, suppress wages of healthcare workers, and contribute to doctors not wanting to work in our state. Learn more

Infrastructure and Transportation​

While investing in our future infrastructure is a must, we need to resist adding flashy projects, and turn our focus to our most critical needs. It’s a hard decision at times, but, as with any business, you must be able to manage your vital assets so you are prepared when the times inevitably get tough.

That’s why infrastructure funding must be a focal point of our future budget talks. If we do not look into restructuring how we fund infrastructure, both on the state and local levels, we’re destined to find ourselves in the same predicament again. This will not only harm our economy, it will affect education, public safety, and other services our state provides. We can do this by moving away from income and high property taxes, and towards excise and sales taxes that will result in a more fiscally responsible, long-term solution. Learn more

Growing the Agriculture Industry​

Our neglected bridges must be addressed so that our farmers can get their crops out of their fields, loggers can get their trees to the mills and our poultry, catfish and cattle farmers can get their products to market. All of these farmers pay more than their fair share of taxes and our government has let them down on one of the most basic functions of its responsibility.

Robert will work with our President and Congress to push back against over-regulation from the EPA and stand with our farmers to protect their right to farm. We must maintain a safe and clean environment, but common sense must prevail if we are to compete in a global economy. Learn more

Safer Communities and Criminal Justice Reform​

Real criminal justice reform has to be on the forefront of our discussions so law enforcement can have the extra resources and time to devote towards more serious crimes. This is why Robert will support our President and his goal to reduce recidivism across America, working to ensure those non-violent offenders are on a path back to contributing to society, not back to jail.

A joint effort between the legislature, law enforcement, and our courts could spell a promising future for the countless communities and individuals who have become entrapped in the endless cycle of imprisonment and poverty. Common sense criminal justice reform that differentiates between non-violent offenders who society is inconvenienced by compared to violent criminals, who society is scared of, must be implemented. In many cases helping a non-violent offender try and turn their life around is a better long-term economic solution than years of costly incarceration. Learn more

Attacking the Opioid Epidemic

Across our state, children are born into opioid addiction, families are torn apart, and thousands of lives are destroyed each year. Now, more than ever, we need to attack the root cause of the problem and re-habilitate those addicted.

We can’t punish someone out of addiction. We must lead the effort of penalizing drug traffickers and placing non-violent addicts on the road to wellness. These non-violent offenders need a path back into society where they can once again be economically self-sufficient citizens by investing in mental health programs rather than more jail cells. Learn more