The Senate Government Structure Committee is exploring consolidation of office space and the use of shared services to reduce costs and potentially lower licensure fees for professional boards in Mississippi, Magnolia Tribune reported Oct. 15, 2026.
Senate Government Structure Committee Chair Sen. Tyler McCaughn (R) told the committee he did not intend to eliminate any board or government office but wants to see whether legal, financial, information-technology and human-resources functions can be consolidated, Magnolia Tribune reported.
Ted Booth, deputy director of the Mississippi Joint Legislative PEER Committee, told the committee Mississippi could follow models used in other states. Booth said roughly 124,000 square feet of state-owned office space could be optimized, avoiding an estimated $74 million cost to build a comparable new structure, and that renovating existing buildings could be less costly. Regulatory agency boards occupy about 118,000 square feet across the state, with about 8,500 square feet currently available, Magnolia Tribune reported.
Booth estimated spending $60 million over five years to renovate available state buildings could save about $3.5 million annually and provide workspace for roughly 500 people, but he warned consolidation would pose challenges because renovations would require shuffling offices without a spare building. The Mississippi State Board of Architecture’s director, John Cothron, told the committee the board would need larger space to accommodate daily printouts during a move, Magnolia Tribune reported.
Some boards already outsource executive-director and office services. Magnolia Tribune reported five boards — including chiropractors, massage therapy and optometry boards — contract with third-party firm J-Bar and Associates for executive-director services and office space. Yvonne Laird, president of J-Bar and Associates, said the company provides services such as internet, cybersecurity and fax, and that some boards pay about one-third the cost of a prior executive director under the contracts.
Committee members also discussed boards’ reserve balances. Magnolia Tribune reported the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure has about $13 million on hand (roughly three years of operating costs) and that Deputy Agency Director Adrianne Brantley said current licensure fee levels are increasing reserves by about $1.2 million annually. Brantley said the board plans to cut some fees from $550 to $150, reducing annual reserve growth to about $800,000; committee members asked the agency to consider using reserve funds for scholarships or programs to attract medical professionals to rural areas.
The Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners reported about $802,000 in reserves. Denny Hydrick, director of that board, told the committee that facility inspections are performed at no cost to dental professionals but cost the board about $600 per inspection on average, Magnolia Tribune reported.
State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney told the committee his agency can share IT protections with other boards and asked lawmakers for more flexibility in managing employee pay and position allocations, saying current personal-identification number (PIN) positions are tied to specific job descriptions. Edney also urged restrictions on sales of kratom products in certain businesses, saying he did not want broad retail access to the product, Magnolia Tribune reported.
The committee discussed cybersecurity across boards. Magnolia Tribune reported that the five boards served by J-Bar recently suffered a cyberattack that left two boards without some essential services. Committee testimony noted the boards use multiple databases, website providers and computer-maintenance contracts — described in the hearing as three different databases, three website providers and four computer-maintenance contracts among the five boards.
Magnolia Tribune published the original reporting on Oct. 15, 2026.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
