Mississippi lawmakers consider shrinking government, changing professional licensing structure

Sen. Tyler McCaughn, chairman of the committee, said the goal is to reduce costs for taxpayers and people who must obtain professional licenses while maintaining necessary public protections.

“We’re looking to see if there are options out there where we can make state government more efficient and more effective,” McCuagh said. 

One proposal would remove boards and commissions that have not met in years from state law. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said lawmakers previously proposed eliminating 17 entities, but the House rejected the effort.

Hosemann said some of those entities have not met in years, lack meeting minutes, or take no meaningful action. He said lawmakers also want to examine whether smaller agencies could share administrative functions rather than maintain separate operations.

“We want to have the least amount of time and expense for taxpayers to deal with our government,” Hoseman said. 

Hosemann said the state is currently working on a 100-year-old system and should rethink how government operates as cyberattacks increasingly threaten public agencies and residents' personal information.

“We've not been real good about sharing these various attacks and also what the basis of them are, what people need to be watching out for. There's a big gap right now, and these crooks are becoming more and more sophisticated, and we need to be more sophisticated in how we respond,” said Hoseman. 

McCaughn said the state is behind on its cybersecurity needs and that relying on individual agencies to manage every function independently may no longer be effective.

“We are in a different world, and I’m gonna tell you that as a whole, on the cyber side, you will know that we are behind on our cybersecurity needs,” said McCaughn.

The committee also discussed changes to professional licensing, which currently is handled by separate regulatory boards overseeing occupations ranging from nursing and counseling to massage therapy and optometry.

Ted Booth, executive director of the Mississippi PEER Joint Committee, presented research on government reorganization and outlined two approaches from Georgia and Texas.

Under a Georgia model, a central agency provides administrative support, facilities, equipment, and other services while individual boards retain authority over licensing requirements, examinations, and disciplinary decisions.

A Texas-style model places more licensing and disciplinary responsibilities under a smaller number of regulatory boards, with individual professions potentially maintaining advisory councils.

Booth said consolidating administrative services could reduce expenses associated with office space, staffing and purchasing. Savings could potentially allow some boards to reduce licensing fees or annual dues.

However, he said the amount of potential savings would depend on which agencies lawmakers choose to combine.

Hosemann said the government must adapt as public needs and technology change.

“Things have changed dramatically, and our state government needs to come along. Things has evolved. I mean, 10, 20 years ago, you'd have never thought we had to discuss this at all. So the government needs to evolve just like all institutions do,” said Hoseman. 

Lawmakers are expected to continue reviewing potential legislation ahead of the next session, including measures to remove inactive entities and explore a different licensing structure.

McCaughn said any changes would be gradual and intended to preserve necessary regulatory services while improving how state government operates.