Secretary of State Watson speaks at joint legislative session in South Mississippi
HARRISON COUNTY, Miss. (WXXV)- Business and community leaders from across South Mississippi gathered Tuesday to hear from one of the state’s top elected officials.
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson was the featured speaker at a joint legislative luncheon hosted by the Gulfport and Jackson County chambers of commerce.
Business leaders packed the Hospitality Resort Management Center at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community college as Secretary of State Michael Watson shared the latest on issues impacting Mississippi’s economy, elections, and future growth.
Secretary Watson discussed efforts to strengthen Mississippi’s business climate while also highlighting the importance of secure elections and continued economic development across the state. “Number one, it’s a great source of energy for me, to see every day Mississippians, to get to talk to them about issues that are important to them. Number two, talking about our job and it’s not just saying I’m going to do this or that, it’s saying look what we’ve done. And then lastly, I think the cool piece is for me is accountability. Being here so they can ask those hard questions if they have them and I can give them the facts. A lot of times what we see on social media, sometimes the media, may not be exactly what the whole story is so, when they have the opportunity to pull me aside and say hey, I heard this, can you please explain exactly what’s going on there, that’s key to government. Being from the Coast is always exciting for me, to get home and see my family and be around my friends that I grew up around and obviously representing Jackson County in the state senate for three terms so I love being on the Coast and it will always be special to me.”
The event also gave local business owners and community leaders an opportunity to connect, share concerns, and ask questions about issues effecting the Gulf Coast and the state’s economy. “I think we should be proud of Mississippi. So many good things going on right now that a lot of times we don’t really know and I think that’s one of the cool things for us when talking to the ambassador program, our future leaders. If our leaders in the business community don’t know what’s happening in Northeast Mississippi or in South Mississippi then how can they tell their children? But having that communication and that ability to talk about the entire state to encourage them we are on cusp of greatness here in Mississippi. We’re already great but when you think about the great things that are happening that people just don’t know about those things start to snowball. We’re in a really good place right now in Mississippi and it’s gonna get better.”
Organizers say events like this give local leaders the opportunity to hear directly from state officials while asking questions about legislation that affects businesses and communities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
