Chaney Sounds Alarm on Health Insurance Cliff, Coastal Coverage Costs
While most of Wednesday’s speakers struck an optimistic tone, Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney used his Neshoba appearance to issue two stark warnings: one about the long-term cost of the state subsidizing home insurance on the Gulf Coast, and another about the upcoming expiration of federal subsidies that have dramatically reduced health insurance premiums for more than 200,000 Mississippians.
Chaney confirmed that wind pool insurance rates on the Coast will rise in 2026 and said the state can’t continue to intervene in the Gulf Coast’s real estate market as it has since Hurricane Katrina.
“Since I’ve been in office, we’ve put over $400 million into keeping rates artificially low on the Gulf Coast to buy reinsurance,” Chaney said. “That’s not a sustainable model.”
He emphasized mitigation programs as the best way for the state government to help lower rates by increasing the resiliency of homes in Mississippi’s three coastal counties. Chaney criticized state lawmakers for stripping the insurance department’s authority to operate a mitigation grant program called Strengthen Mississippi Homes. The program, which was funded by fees collected from insurers, gave Gulf Coast homeowners up to $10,000 to reinforce their roofs against hurricane-force winds.
“Folks, that’s not just disappointing,” Chaney said. “It’s dangerous. It’s not logical, and it’s bad public policy that will cost homeowners.”
Speaking with reporters after his speech, Chaney said the expiration of the Affordable Care Act’s premium subsidies at the end of 2025 would widen health care disparities in the state. He estimated that monthly premiums for more than 200,000 Mississippians insured through the ACA exchange will increase by nearly 58%. He warned that many of them will then go without health coverage.
Chaney said people in the Medicaid coverage gap, too poor to afford private insurance but not poor enough to qualify for traditional Medicaid, would be hit especially hard.
“What do you tell a mother that’s pregnant and she can’t afford insurance?” Chaney asked. “You still need to have prenatal care.”
Gipson Touts Conservative Record, Previews 2027 Gubernatorial Run
Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson gave one of the day’s most energetic stump speeches, literally throwing his signature cowboy hat into the crowd to signify his commitment to running for governor in 2027.
Gipson positioned himself as a staunch Trump ally, a defender of religious liberty and Second Amendment rights, and a champion of Mississippi farmers. He blamed former President Joe Biden for the United States’ trade deficit for agricultural products and said that imbalance is why many of the state’s farmers struggle to stay afloat.
“That's not gonna be fixed overnight, but he's working on it every day, and I’m so proud to be a part of the solution, working with the Trump administration,” Gipson said.
For his part, Gipson announced a new initiative called “Future of Agriculture Resiliency for Mississippi,” or FARM for short. He plans to form a council of agribusiness leaders who will work with Gipson to assess the state’s agriculture sector and develop policy recommendations over the next 12 to 16 months.
“We’re going to ask and answer the question: what are the seeds that we need to plant today for the needs of Mississippi agriculture tomorrow?” Gipson said. “And we know that when we plant good seeds, we will have a good harvest if we keep on keeping on.”
Gipson criticized state lawmakers for raising the gasoline tax to fund infrastructure improvements and said he would focus on decreasing government spending if elected governor.
“We’re going to have to do more with less,” Gipson said. “I’m against raising taxes. I will veto any bill that ever comes to my desk that raises taxes on the hard-working people of Mississippi.”
Hosemann Pitches Tax Rebate, Remains Mum on Run for Governor
Lieutenant Gov. Delbert Hosemann focused on Mississippi’s finances, touting recent tax cuts, education funding increases and progress in paying off the state’s debt. He said the state’s balance sheet looks so good he wants to send a check to every taxpayer in 2026.
“We’ve accumulated $1.4 billion in cash,” Hosemann said. “That’s in addition to the rainy day fund. So this year, you know what we need to do? We need to give the money back.”
Hosemann plans to push for lawmakers to approve a $316 million rebate package that would return 15% of the state income tax paid in 2024.
“That will help our economy, and it shows Mississippians that we’re running the government well,” Hosemann said.
Hosemann also reiterated his support for providing “last dollar” tuition aid for community college students entering Mississippi’s high-demand fields like welding and nursing.
When asked directly if he plans to run for governor in 2027, Hosemann said he and his family are still mulling it over, but his priority is focusing on an aggressive policy agenda as Senate leader.
“When the things settle down, a year out or whatever, that’s the time to be doing this (campaigning),” Hosemann said. “I’m not quitting the thing that people hired me to do.”
Guest Reads Letter From President Trump, Defends Cuts to Social Safety Net
Rep. Michael Guest, the only member of Mississippi’s congressional delegation scheduled to speak at Neshoba this year, used his turn on the pavilion stage to promote Mississippi’s growing role in industries like auto manufacturing, shipbuilding, and data storage.
Guest also read aloud a letter he claimed was written by President Donald Trump, who declared that the “patriots” at the fair “carry this country on your shoulders.”
Speaking to reporters afterward, Guest defended the Republican-backed budget reconciliation bill passed by Congress that would enact strict new work requirements for Medicaid, SNAP, and other safety-net programs.
“If individuals are able to work, but they choose not to work, then they shouldn’t be receiving federal subsidies,” Guest said.
Guest claimed the bill “doesn’t cut Medicaid” and only “slows the rate of growth,” but that characterization is misleading. Multiple independent analyses have shown the bill would cut federal Medicaid funding by hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade, primarily by rolling back elements of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act.
The legislation would also give states more authority to impose work requirements, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates would result in millions of people losing coverage, either because they get caught in bureaucratic red tape or fail to meet the requirements.
Guest also voiced support for releasing the sealed court files in the Jeffrey Epstein case and said he’ll spend the next few weeks touring the third congressional district to highlight federal investments in Mississippi.
