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Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann has announced policy priorities for the 2023 legislative session in Mississippi, including providing rebate checks of up to $500 to taxpayers, increasing education spending, pushing for year-round schooling and pre-K programs, and addressing the state’s health care crisis, based on the published report by Clarion Ledger on December 21,2022.
These plans put Hosemann and the Senate at odds with House Speaker Philip Gunn and other GOP leaders, who want to eliminate the state income tax instead of providing rebate checks.
The House and Senate Republican majorities are also expected to clash over the extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage for working mothers, an issue that Hosemann and Senate leaders continue to support.
Hosemann’s proposal will refund taxpayers the full amount of state income taxes paid in the past year on a “dollar-for-dollar” basis, with estimates suggesting that the rebate checks will be capped at around $500.
According to Mississippi Today on December 21, 2022, Hosemann has suggested that Mississippi’s health care infrastructure may need to be altered due to population decline in certain areas, potentially leading to rural hospitals focusing on basic and emergency services while specialized care is centralized. Hosemann is willing to discuss Medicaid expansion but believes it is unlikely that lawmakers will tackle the issue this year.
Hosemann also supports extending postpartum Medicaid coverage for working mothers in Mississippi from 60 days to a year based on a study from Texas that showed positive results.
Hosemann also plans to address prison overcrowding and recidivism, implement vocational and technical training for prisoners, support the creation of a state lottery and sports betting, and address infrastructure issues including roads, bridges, and the high rate of uninsured drivers in the state. Hosemann believes these actions will help address Mississippi’s high rates of infant and maternal mortality.
