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JACKSON — Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann named a new Labor Force Participation Study Group chaired by Senator Daniel Sparks today. He also reinstituted the Study Group on Women, Children, and Families, originally created in 2022 and chaired by Senator Nicole Boyd.

“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.”

The Labor Force Participation Study Group is tasked with making legislative recommendations on how to increase the number of people in Mississippi’s workforce and skill-up those who may be unemployed or underemployed. As of April 2024, Mississippi labor force participation rate was 53.7 percent—nine percentage points below the national average of 62.7 percent.

Other members of the study group include Senators Jason Barrett, Lydia Chassaniol, Dennis DeBar, Scott DeLano, Joey Fillingane, Tyler McCaughn, Sollie Norwood, David Parker, Derrick Simmons, Sarita Simmons, Mike Thompson, and Bart Williams. The public is invited to provide input at LaborStudyGroup@senate.ms.gov.

Elected in 2019, Sparks is an attorney from Belmont, Mississippi. He is chairman of the Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee and vice chairman of the Judiciary B Committee.

The Women, Children, and Families Study Group heard testimony in 2022 from state agencies and others related to easing adoption and foster care, supporting children who are under the care of the state, maximizing child support, addressing the lack of childcare, and early intervention. The reinstituted group will hear updates about some of the legislation spurred because of their previous work and focus on new issues facing families and young children (birth to 3 years old) in Mississippi.

Members of the Women, Children, and Families Study Group include Senators Kevin Blackwell, Hob Bryan, Jeremy England, Dean Kirby, Rod Hickman, Angela Hill, Chad McMahan, Robin Robinson, Angela Turner-Ford, and Brice Wiggins. The public is invited to provide input at WCFStudyGroup@senate.ms.gov.

Elected in 2019, Boyd is an attorney from Oxford, Mississippi. She is chairwoman of the Senate Universities and Colleges Committee and vice chairwoman of the Medicaid Committee.

Both study groups will hold public hearings in late summer or early fall and hear testimony from state agencies, experts, and others. To learn more about Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann, visit www.ltgovhosemann.ms.gov.