Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson during its January 25, 2022 meeting. Secretary Watson informed club members and guest about the responsibilities of the Secretary of State's Office. Secretary Watson a Jackson County native, served three terms in the State Senate before being elected as the Secretary of State. Secretary Watson talked about the divisions of the Office including Elections and Voting, Business Services and Regulations, Public Lands and others. Secretary Watson stressed the importance that the Office of Secretary of State works for the citizens of Mississippi, "You are our boss, we work for you", said SOS Watson. Since January of 2020 when SOS Watson has been the SOS, he said he has tried to make the SOS's Office more user friendly. With elections, they oversee the state's elections, but each county's election commissioners and clerks are in charge of the elections. He has tried to minimize the business regulatory regulations by creating the Occupational Licensing Review Commission. The SOS Office has also created Tackle the Tape. The Tackle the Tape initiative seeks to cut anti-competitive government regulations and increase economic opportunities for individuals across Mississippi by encouraging innovation and job growth. Currently, per capita, Mississippi is the most regulated state in the Southeast. Working closely with the Occupational Licensing Review Commission and other state agencies, as well as small businesses and industry leaders across the state, the SOS Office have seen tremendous success in helping rid Mississippi of the burdensome “red tape.” Here is the link to the meeting video https://vimeo.com/670741001. Shown in photo below is from left, club member Pete Perry, SOS Watson and Club Past President Greg Campbell.
