State Senator Brice Wiggins outlined key priorities ahead of Mississippi’s 2026 legislative session, focusing on boosting economic development along the Gulf Coast and advancing education policy reforms. In a recent interview, he urged the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) to intensify its outreach to attract major industrial and technological ventures—such as data centers—to the coastal region, criticizing the agency for disproportionately directing projects inland. Wiggins emphasized that state funding supports MDA operations and that lawmakers will scrutinize its regional performance. On education, he anticipates vigorous debate over school choice initiatives, which allow families to use public funds for non-public school options. While supportive of expanding educational access, he expressed concern over proposals linking teacher salary increases to school choice legislation, arguing the two matters should be addressed independently. Additionally, Wiggins plans to reintroduce a civics education bill requiring high school students to study constitutional principles and the structure of government—a measure inspired by similar laws in states like Utah. He stressed the importance of cultivating informed citizens, noting a decline in civic literacy compared to prior generations. The legislature is set to reconvene on January 6, 2026.
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Sen. Wiggins discusses economic development, school choice ahead of legislative session
BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) – State Sen. Brice Wiggins detailed his plans for the upcoming legislative session and called on the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) to increase its efforts to bring major economic development projects to the Gulf Coast during an interview on WLOX News This Week. n nMississippi Development Authority n nWiggins called on the MDA to increase its efforts to bring major economic development projects to the Gulf Coast, saying the agency has failed to deliver for the region. n nWiggins sent a letter to MDA Director Bill Cork this month expressing concerns that the agency has directed major developments, such as data centers, to other parts of the state while neglecting the Coast. n n“It is not an unknown secret at the Capitol that MDA has not done and landed the projects that you see in other parts of the state,” Wiggins said. “That is their job, and they don’t do it.” n nWiggins said he would support bringing data centers and high-tech jobs to the Coast, but wants MDA to better understand local operations and work with regional development authorities. n nThe senator said legislators fund MDA and will be examining the agency’s performance. n nSchool choice n nWiggins said school choice will dominate legislative discussions this session, with the House expected to present a plan and the Senate likely to offer a counter-proposal. n nSchool choice describes policies and programs that let families use public funds to enroll their children in schools outside their assigned local option, including private schools. n n“It’s going to be debated,” Wiggins said. “Education is going to be a topic.” n nWiggins also supports teacher pay raises, which are expected to come from the Senate. Wiggins said he has heard House plans may connect teacher pay raises to school choice legislation, which some oppose. n n“There are a lot of people who don’t like that because they should be two separate issues,” Wiggins said. n nCivics education bill n nWiggins said he plans to reintroduce legislation requiring high school students to study the three branches of government and the Constitution. n nThe bill, which died in committee last year, would have mandated that public and charter schools make civics a required course for high school graduation. n n“We need an informed citizenry,” Wiggins said. “When I was growing up, we would learn about those things in school. Somehow, somewhere we’ve gotten away from that.” n nThe legislation is modeled after similar laws passed in other states, including Utah. n nThe Mississippi Legislature reconvenes on January 6 for the 2026 session. n nSee a spelling or grammar error in this story? Report it to our team HERE.