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Jackson, Miss. — The Mississippi Center for Public Policy (MCPP) proudly announces the recipients of the 2025 Mississippi Freedom Awards—an annual tradition that honors the lawmakers who boldly champion liberty, economic growth, and individual rights during the legislative session.
“This year, we set an ambitious agenda: eliminate the income tax, expand school choice, push back against divisive DEI initiatives, and reduce the red tape stifling healthcare,” said MCPP President Douglas Carswell. “Thanks to courageous leadership in the Legislature, we’ve secured historic victories for Mississippi families.”
Among the honorees are several standout lawmakers:
- Representative Trey Lamar led the successful charge to eliminate the state income tax. Working closely with Speaker Jason White, Lamar’s transparent and thoughtful approach exemplified what pro-growth policymaking should look like.
- Representative Jason White, Speaker of the House, is recognized as the 2025 House Hero for uniting and leading on key reforms, most notably the income tax overhaul. His steady leadership continues to chart a path for prosperity.
- Senator Angela Hill, named the 2025 Senate Hero, took bold action to fight harmful DEI mandates and stood firm for educational and individual liberty.
- Representative Jansen Owen was honored for his tireless efforts to expand school choice in Mississippi through HB 1435, pushing a policy that would bring Mississippi in line with neighboring states.
- Representative Hank Zuber III was recognized for his long-standing work to reform healthcare regulations and push back on outdated Certificate of Need laws, aiming to improve access and competition in the state’s healthcare system.
- Representative Sam Creekmore earned recognition for his focused efforts to cut red tape and streamline processes that hinder economic development. With a pragmatic and solutions-oriented mindset, Creekmore worked to identify and remove bureaucratic barriers that stall progress across sectors—particularly in healthcare and infrastructure. His commitment to smart, conservative reform has made him a valuable force in the push for a more efficient and responsive government.
“These lawmakers didn’t just vote the right way—they led the fight,” MCPP noted in a statement. “When others hesitated, they stood firm for freedom.” While not every legislative priority crossed the finish line this year, the victories achieved mark serious momentum for pro-growth reform. With income tax elimination and anti-DEI legislation now enshrined into law, Mississippi continues to position itself as a beacon of freedom and innovation in the South.
Last week I went to Washington, and had meetings at the White House, Congress (Senate & the House), as well as with various think tanks.
I gave a presentation about Mississippi income tax elimination to Americans for Tax Reform, too.
Mississippi is the 2nd fastest growing state in America, with the 5th fastest increase in personal income. We have just passed legislation to abolish the income tax, and have received record levels of inward investment.
That means there is tremendous interest in our state, and what our pro-growth policies have started to achieve.
It was an honor to talk about the Mississippi success story, with so many positive policy wins. I was really struck by the strong support for the Magnolia state and pro-growth policies.
Those I talked to in Washington are very aware of Mississippi’s successes. (Even more so now). I suspect this interest will only increase.
When I flew home from Washington, I felt so proud of our state.
Imagine what Mississippi could achieve if we used our conservative super majority to go even further with pro-growth policies?
Mississippi was the second fastest growing state in the last quarter of 2024, according to new data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. Output per person in the Magnolia state increased faster than any state besides Arkansas.
One set of data might be a fluke, but then the previous quarterly data told a similar growth story. We are starting to see a trend as Mississippi takes off economically.
Mississippi’s been stuck at 50th out of 50 for so long, some struggle to believe we could be anywhere else. But here’s the kicker: our per capita GDP zipped past Britain’s in 2023 and is set to overtake Germany’s this year. If the explosive growth from late 2024 keeps up, we’ll leapfrog several U.S. states in the next decade. That “last place” label? It’s starting to peel off.
What’s behind this turnaround? Free market reforms—plain and simple. Mississippi was held back by high taxes, stifling regulations, and cartels—especially the one under the Capitol dome in Jackson—calling the shots.
A generation ago, Mississippi’s economic development strategy was to send long serving politicians to Washington DC to hustle for handouts. If federal subsidies made a state rich, ours would have been the wealthiest state in the Union.
But today, we’re growing because bold leaders—backed by your support—are pushing pro-growth policies:
- Tax Cuts: Since we started trimming the income tax to a flat 4% in 2022, the Mississippi Development Agency estimates there’s been a whopping $19 billion inward investment. Businesses are flocking here, confident that their payroll taxes will tumble.
- Flexible Labor Market: Already an “at-will” employment state, Mississippi passed a little noticed law in 2021 to ease occupational licensing. Local boards are increasingly under pressure to reduce onerous red tape.
- Business-Friendly Planning: While other states drown companies in approval processes, Mississippi rolls out the welcome mat.
- Cheap Energy: Two new data centers are coming, and they’ll need oodles of electricity. Good thing Mississippi’s natural gas and nuclear keep our electricity cheap—around 13.43 cents per kWh versus California’s wallet-busting 34.26 cents. Affordable energy is turbocharging our growth.
Mississippi has only adopted pro-growth policies because a handful of bold conservative leaders have been prepared to fight for them. Just three weeks ago, our Senate’s current leadership was maneuvering against income tax elimination.
Imagine what we could achieve if the Senate was on board with free market reform? We’re surrounded by states with school choice, but our Senate blocked even a modest public-to-public option. Healthcare’s tangled in “certificate of need” nonsense, and Senate leaders killed that fix too.
Mississippi is on the rise, but we need to double down on pro-growth reforms, especially school choice. Thank you for standing with us—together, we’re making Mississippi boom!
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What a win! This week, Mississippi made history as the first state in the U.S.—aside from oil-rich Alaska—to pass legislation eliminating the income tax. While nine other states have never had an income tax, Mississippi is blazing a trail by actively dismantling it.
“So what?”, you might say. “Why does this matter if full elimination is still a decade away?” The answer is simple: it’s already transforming our state for the better. Eliminating the income tax makes Mississippi a magnet for growth. Look at Texas, Florida, and Tennessee—three southern states without income taxes that are booming. Even Arkansas recently lowered its rate to stay competitive with us!
Since we began reducing our rate to a flat 4% in 2022, the Mississippi Development Agency reports an extraordinary $25 billion in inward investment. Businesses are flocking here, confident that the payroll tax burden is fading away. This victory isn’t just about economics—it’s a triumph for conservative reform.
Around the Governor’s desk on Thursday evening, we saw bold leadership from Speaker Jason White, Rep. Trey Lamar, and a few dedicated others who fought for this change. We should not forget the role of former Speaker, Philip Gunn, either. Mississippi is, as you know, full of southern charm. One consequence of this is that each time a significant reform passes in the state legislature, there is a tendency to pretend that the change came about because of some kind of kumbaya consensus.
This win came from grit, not just goodwill. Days ago, some were still resisting real elimination. Minds moved because of determined advocacy. This success proves that the roadblocks to reform can be overcome with bold, principled leadership.
There might be a consensus about income tax elimination now, but it is a new consensus, won by bold conservative leaders fighting for it. We salute those that put principle on the line and fought for change!
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