Recently, the Winston County Republican Women were honored to have Mississippi’s 36th Secretary of State Michael Watson as their guest speaker. The Secretary highlighted the office’s accomplishments and voiced his appreciation to the SOS team of 100+ agency employees across eight divisions who endlessly work to ensure Mississippi is a better place for the next generation. Through their efforts, they have achieved many notable accomplishments.
When Secretary Watson was elected, he swore an oath and was entrusted with ensuring our elections are safe and secure. Through work with the state legislature, they have been able to pass key legislation which further preserves the integrity of Mississippi elections including only allowing United States citizens to cast votes, authority to conduct post-election audits, securing funding for enhanced cybersecurity, codifying methods to better maintain voter rolls, and incorporating penalties for fraudulently requesting an absentee ballot. With these additional safeguards, his goal is to restore confidence in the voting process and reaffirm to Mississippians their vote is the one they cast.
They have also seen tremendous success in regulation reform through the Tackle the Tape initiative in July 2020. To take a more proactive approach, Secretary Watson launched a comprehensive strategic plan called 29 by 29 to efficiently review all 118,000+ regulations in Mississippi’s regulatory code. This review plan will serve as a roadmap within the Tackle the Tape initiative with an end goal of reviewing every regulation for all 29 occupational licensing boards and commissions by the year 2029.
Serving as State Lands Commissioner and trustee of the state’s tidelands, the need for a concerted effort to preserve Mississippi’s greatest assets has become a top priority. Secretary Watson recently assembled a Conservation Task Force which is comprised of some of the brightest minds in the country who serve as experts on wildlife and natural resources. The goal is to develop a statewide conservation plan, explore viable funding options for improvements across the state and build a collaborative network to strengthen relationships and break down silos.
Following the theme of collaboration, Secretary Watson’s latest initiative, Mississippi Businesses Against Trafficking (MBAT), is one of which he is extremely proud. Launched in October, this statewide initiative seeks to raise awareness and empower Mississippi businesses to combat human trafficking. The Secretary of State’s office recently joined forces with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Mississippi State Department of Health to begin conducting summits with leading experts around the state and nation. While every aspect of the SOS office is an important function of state government, shedding light on this heinous crime to help save lives is indescribably rewarding.
The SOS office continues to find ways to serve Mississippians more efficiently and effectively. They pride themselves on their long-term investments but also on the daily services they provide Mississippi citizens. He invited the public to contact his office for any information or assistance needed.
The Winston County Republican Women would like to congratulate Secretary Watson for being elected as Finance Chair of the National Republican Secretaries of State Committee 2023. We thank him for his service to our state and his stellar representation on the national level.
