Lt. Gov. Hosemann Appoints Sen. Sparks to Lead New Labor Force Study Group

JACKSON, Miss. – Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann (R) announced on Tuesday that he had appointed State Senator Daniel Sparks (R) to chair a new Labor Force Participation Study Group. Notably, Sparks is the chairman of the Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee.

According to Hosemann, the Labor Force Participation Study Group has been tasked with making legislative recommendations on how to increase the number of people in Mississippi’s workforce. Additionally, the group will focus on enhancing the skills of those who may be unemployed or underemployed.

As of April 2024, Mississippi’s labor force participation rate was 53.7 percent. Notably, this figure is nine percentage points below the national average of 62.7 percent.

Other members of the study group as appointed by the Lt. Governor include:

• Senator Jason Barrett (R)
• Senator Lydia Chassaniol (R)
• Senator Dennis DeBar (R)
• Senator Scott DeLano (R)
• Senator Joey Fillingane (R)
• Senator Tyler McCaughn (R)
• Senator Sollie Norwood (D)
• Senator David Parker (R)
• Senator Derrick Simmons (D)
• Senator Sarita Simmons (D)
• Senator Mike Thompson (R)
• Senator Bart Williams (R)

Tremendous potential

In addition, Lt. Governor Hosemann announced the re-institution of the Study Group on Women, Children, and Families, originally created in 2022. Senator Nicole Boyd, who chairs the Senate Universities and Colleges Committee, will continue to lead the group.

Hosemann explained that the re-instituted study group will hear updates about legislation spurred by their previous work. Furthermore, the group will focus on new issues facing families and young children from birth to 3 years old in Mississippi.

Members of the Women, Children, and Families Study Group include:

• Senator Kevin Blackwell (R)
• Senator Hob Bryan (D)
• Senator Jeremy England (R)
• Senator Dean Kirby (R)
• Senator Rod Hickman (D)
• Senator Angela Hill (R)
• Senator Chad McMahan (R)
• Senator Robin Robinson (R)
• Senator Angela Turner-Ford (D)
• Senator Brice Wiggins (R)

In a statement announcing the study groups, Lt. Governor Hosemann said both study groups will hold public hearings in late summer or early fall to hear testimony from state agencies, experts, and others. The public is invited to share their input with the groups by emailing LaborStudyGroup@senate.ms.gov or WCFStudyGroup@senate.ms.gov.

“It the Legislature’s job to examine how our state laws and appropriations help or hinder Mississippi’s opportunities for positive growth and prosperity,” Hosemann said. “Both of these topics have tremendous potential to move the needle in terms of economic development, tourism, health outcomes, educational attainment, and other major factors which determine our future trajectory as a state and in our communities.”

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.