During a ceremony that was moved to the House chamber because of rain, Reeves, who previously served two terms as treasurer and lieutenant governor, delivered an inaugural address that struck a conciliatory tone in saying this will be an administration for all Mississippians.
Reeves said his priority was to grow the economy.
"A growing, vibrant economy solves more problems than any government giveaway ever could," Reeves said. "A government program helps for a month, but a good-paying career helps a family for generations. It is my mission to spend every single day creating a climate where good careers are plentiful — with every Mississippian prepared to pursue them."
Reeves said he wanted to make sure the state is not causing more problems than it solves and that it does not stand in the way of opportunity.
“We will lower barriers to innovation,” Reeves said. “We will do everything in our power to make sure this is the easiest place in America to start and grow a business…We must open doors of generational opportunity to more people in our state.”
Reeves highlighted workforce development, which has been top of the mind for seemingly every politician in the state.
“It must be our goal to compete for the very best jobs in all the world. It starts with workforce training,” Reeves added. He then called for a “history making” increase in workforce training.
Other issues Reeves outlined:
- He said we must clean up corrections “to provide for the safety of our citizens and human dignity of all in the system.”
- He called for a teacher pay raise and a new mission to have more national board certified teachers per capita than any state in the nation.
- He said we must “take care of foster kids” and help “special needs kids get the help they need.”