Southaven Chamber launches legislative outreach to support county businesses

SOUTHAVEN, MS – The Southaven Chamber of Commerce says it has delivered results of a recent comprehensive legislative survey to every member of the Mississippi House of Representatives and State Senate representing DeSoto County.

The initiative comes as lawmakers prepare to convene at the State Capitol in Jackson for the 2026 regular session, which is scheduled to officially “gavel in” at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 6. Chamber officials said the delivery of the survey results ensures that the priorities of the DeSoto County business community are front-and-center before the first bills are even filed.

The survey captured direct input from a diverse range of members across DeSoto County, focusing on critical pillars of the local economy:

• Workforce Development: Identifying the skills gap and regional education needs.
• Economic Growth: Highlighting specific barriers to expansion and new private investment.
• Legislative Priorities: Providing a data-driven look at how state-level policies impact the “bottom line” for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

“This is just the beginning of an ongoing dialogue we intend to have with our legislators,” said Debbie King, IOM, President and CEO of the Southaven Chamber of Commerce. “By sharing this survey, we are positioning ourselves to have a much larger, unified voice. It’s vital that our elected officials understand the real-world impact of the policies they pass.”

The effort was spearheaded by the Chamber’s Community and Government Relations Committee. 

Results of the survey may be found here: