- “We believe that everyone should feel their tax dollars are going towards worthwhile endeavors,” Senator Tyler McCaughn said.
A Senate committee responsible for restructuring and improving the efficiency of Mississippi state government met Monday to hear suggestions on how two agencies could reduce waste and save taxpayers’ money.
Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson (R) and Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney (R) informed members of the Senate Government Structure Committee that their departments have identified ways to reduce redundancies within state government.
Before the officials testified, Committee Chairman Senator Tyler McCaughn (R) said legislators are the watchers of taxpayer funds.
“We believe that everyone should feel their tax dollars are going towards worthwhile endeavors,” McCaughn said.
At the end of 2025, the committee sent letters to state agencies seeking input on how those government offices could reduce waste and increase efficiencies, said McCaughn.
“I am not here to tell you how to run your agencies; you know your agency and what is best for your agency. And what we can do to make it better. That is our goal on this committee,” he said.
Gipson testified that his department has been seeking ways to reduce costs since COVID-19. The commissioner said his department is in the building and leasing business. The Agriculture Museum in Jackson and the Fairgrounds “live off” the rental income they bring in, Gipson noted, adding that many of the department’s buildings are aging and in need of maintenance.
Gipson suggested streamlining the state’s procurement process to reduce time and cost.
“There’s a lot of hoops to jump through,” he said. “I am just saying if you go to the private sector, a lot of these buildings can be built quicker and for less dollars.”
Gipson told of one project where the Livestock Recovery Bureau wanted to build a shop to store recovered property. The bureau received a quote from a private business for $300,000. However, he said, by following state procedures the shop would have cost about $1 million.
He suggested the state finds ways to streamline the process by including the private sector.
“I believe the taxpayers could be saving millions, if not tens or hundreds of millions of dollars,” Gipson told the committee.
He also suggested raising the cap on no-bid contracts from $5,000 to around $25,000. In the last several years, Gipson said building costs have jumped about 20 percent.
When Commissioner Chaney addressed senators, he said the Insurance Department would benefit by changing computer programs to one recommended by the insurance commissioners’ trade group. He said only 11 states now use their current system, but many more are using other programs.
Chaney told the committee that the department could face a lawsuit if it tries to cancel its current contract.
“We’re in a position of what do we do?” he added.
Chaney continued by noting that the Insurance Commission has 17 boards, adding that several could be consolidated and others could be eliminated.
The Senate committee was created by Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann (R) to examine ways state government could be leaner. He has said government restructuring is a priority for him during the 2026 legislative session.
You can watch the full committee meeting below.
Daniel Tyson
