Governor calls mansion meeting with Hosemann, Gunn

Gov.

Tate Reeves invites Lt.

Gov.

Delbert Hosemann and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn to his home, where they spent two hours working toward an agreement about how CARES Act money will be distributed quickly to Mississippians

TODAY AND I WANT TO PARTICULARLYTHANK LIEUTENANT GOVERNORHUSBAND AND SPEAKER GUN.FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP IN THEIRRESPECTIVE CHAMBERS.AND PARTICULARLY WITH THEIR WORKOVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS.OBVIOUSLY WE AS A STATE AREDEALING IN VERY DIFFICULT TIMES.WE HAD 262 NEW CORONAVIRUS CASESREPORTED THIS MORNING BY THEMISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH.SADLY, WE HAD 22 NEW DEATHS.NINE OF THOSE DEATHS FOR THERECORD.WE’RE ACTUALLY FROM PREVIOUSVITAL RECORDS.REPORTS AND I THINK IT IS CLEARTHOUGH THAT THE NUMBER OF DEATHSCONTINUE TO RISE IN OUR STATE.WE MUST CONTINUE TO BE VIGILANT.WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARENOT OVER.THIS DISEASE NOR ARE WE OVER THECHALLENGES THAT WE FACE?I WANT TO IMPLORE EVERYONE THATIS WATCHING TODAY.PLEASE REMAIN VIGILANT.PLEASE CONTINUE TO SOCIALDISTANCE.PLEASE.STAY HOME WHENEVER YOU CAN.BELIEVE THAT IS CRITICALLYIMPORTANT.WE MUST CONTINUE TO WORKTOGETHER.WE DO HAVE DR. DOBBS ANDDIRECTOR MICHELLE HERE THAT WILLSPEAK TO US IN JUST A BIT.EVERYONE HERE ALSO KNOWS THAT WEHAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THEBILL THAT WAS PASSED BY THEMISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE LASTFRIDAY.THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF THINGSDONE AND SAID OVER THE LAST FOUROR FIVE DAYS.BUT HERE’S WHAT I WANT YOU TOKNOW.IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THATWE AS A STATE COME TOGETHER INTHESE CHALLENGING TIMES.IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THATWE WORK FOR THE GREATER GOOD.SO YESTERDAY MORNING, I CALLEDSPEAKER GUNN AND LIEUTENANTGOVERNOR HOSEMANN AND INVITEDTHEM TO MY HOME.THEY GRACIOUSLY ACCEPT IT.AND THE TWO OF THEM AND OTHERLEGISLATIVE LEADERS AND I HADCONVERSATION WE SAT TOGETHER.OVER TWO HOURS THE ONE THING WEALL AGREE ON.IS THAT WE WANT TO DO WHAT’SBEST FOR THE PEOPLE OFMISSISSIPPI?NOW WE MAY NOT EVER AGREE.AS TO THE ORIGINAL ISSUES ANDTHAT’S OKAY.WE DON’T HAVE TO AGREE ON EVERYSINGLE ISSUE AS LONG AS WE AGREETHAT WE’RE GOING TO WORK HARDFOR THE PEOPLE OF OUR STATE.BECAUSE OF THAT CONVERSATION ANDOTHERS THAT HAVE SINCE COME WEHAVE MADE A DECISION TO HIT THEPAUSE BUTTON.THERE WILL BE SOME.STRUCTURAL MOVES AND SOMEPROCEDURAL MOVES LATER TODAYTHAT GIVES US MORE TIME TODISCUSS THIS.I AM GRATEFUL TO THE SPEAKERGUNN AND TO LIEUTENANT GOVERNORHOSEMANN AND TO EVERY MEMBER OFTHE MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE FORTHEIR WILLINGNESS TO CREATE APATH FORWARD.SO THAT WE CAN GET THESE MONIESTO OUR PEOPLE.AS I’VE SAID BEFORE, I DON’TREALLY CARE WHO CONTROLS THEMONEY THE ONLY THING I CAREABOUT.SPEED WE KNOW WHO NEEDS THISMONEY.I BELIEVE THAT THE THREE OF USAND THE LEADERS IN THE HOUSE ANDTHE SENATE CAN WORK TOGETHER TOCRAFT A SOLUTION TO GET THEMONEY TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT.THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAYAND AT THIS TIME I’M GOING TOTURN THE FLOOR OVER TOLIEUTENANT GOVERNOR HOSEMANNLIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.THANK YOU.THANK YOU GOVERNOR.I APPRECIATE SO MUCH HAVE ANOPPORTUNITY TO VISIT TODAY ANDWE THANK THE GOVERNOR FOR ASKINGUS DOWN YESTERDAY TO VISIT.MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AND HOUSEMET WITH THE GOVERNOR’S ENGINEOVER TWO HOURS.AT HIS REQUEST.WE ARE GOING TO HOLD THE BILLTHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE PENDINGBEFORE THE MISSISSIPPILEGISLATURE.I’M GOING TO ASK MY SENATORS.TO HOLD THAT BILL FOR A FEW DAYSHERE AS THE GOVERNOR SAID ANDTHE PURPOSE OF THAT IS FOR US TOREACH AN AGREEMENT ON GOINGFORWARD ON A PLAN.WHILE WE MAY BE HOLDING THATBILL.WE’RE NOT HOLDING OUR WORK RIGHTNOW.THERE’S A THERE’S A COMMITTEEMEETING GOING ON AND WORKFORCEDEVELOPMENT.WE’VE BEEN INUNDATED WITH CALLSABOUT PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TOGET THEIR MONEY.WE’RE ALSO GOING TO HOLDHEARINGS TODAY AND TOMORROWWORKING ON LEGISLATION TOTRANSFER 100 MILLION DOLLARS TOSMALL STRUGGLING BUSINESSES INMISSISSIPPI.AS GOVERNOR HAS INDICATED THEREASON WE’RE ALL HEREPARTICULARLY MEMBERS OF THESENATE LEGISLATION OF GOVERNOR.WE’RE ALL HERE TO ON SOLUTIONSFOR MISSISSIPPIANS.AND WHILE WE MAY NOT AGREE ONONE THING OR ANOTHER THEMISSISSIPPI SENATE TOMISSISSIPPI HOUSE ARE GOING TOAPPROPRIATE THE FUNDS NECESSARYTO ALLOCATE THESE THESE DOLLARSTO MISSISSIPPIANS AS QUICK ASHUMANLY POSSIBLE.THAT IS MY GOAL.AND I THINK IT’S A GOAL FOR ALLTHE SENATORS THAT WE REPRESENT.SO I’M GOING TO ASK THEM TO DOTHAT TODAY THIS AFTERNOON AFTERTHIS MEETING GOES ON NOW.I REALLY APPRECIATE THEOPPORTUNITY FOR US TO WORKTOGETHER.I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THEIRPLAN IN THE INTERIM YOU SEE THESIN AND OUTLET AND PHILIP INSPEAK FOR THE HOUSE.YOU WILL SEE US GOING FORWARDWITH OUR WE CAN DISTRIBUTE THESEFUNDS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE OFTHE PORTIO OF THE FUNDS THATWE’VE BEEN DISCUSSING IN THEPAST.SO MISSISSIPPIANS NEED TO KNOWTHAT WE CAME TOGETHER YESTERDAYAND THEY WERE HAVING A PATHFORWARD AND THAT WE’RE GOING TOWORK FOR IT AS A GROUP WORK FORIT ON MAKING SURE THOSE THOSEDOLLARS ARE DELIVERED QUICKLY.SO I APPRECIATE THAT.I GUESS GOVERN YOU TO SPEAKER.THANK YOU MISS LUCY.GOVERNOR MR. SPEAKER.THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH USTODAY.THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH US TOFIND A SOLUTION AND A PATHFORWARD AND THE FLOOR IS YOURS.I TOO WANT TO THANK THE GOVERNORFOR WORKING WITH US TO REACH ASOLUTION IN THIS MATTER AS YOUKNOW, WE HAVE HAD SOMEDISAGREEMENTS OVER APPROPRIATINGAUTHORITY.I’M VERY GRATEFUL TO THEGOVERNOR FOR HIS WILLINGNESS TOWORK WITH US IN THAT ARENA THECONCLUSION THAT THAT WE HAVEREACHED IS THAT THE LEGISLATUREWILL APPROPRIATE DOLLARS INCONJUNCTION WITH THE GOVERNORADMINISTRATING THOSE DOLLARS THEMAIN CONCERN FOR US RIGHT NOW ISTO SET UP RELIEF FOR OUR SMALLBUSINESSES AND OUR CONVERSATIONYESTERDAY.I THINK ALL THREE OF US AGREED.THAT WAS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY ANDSO WE ARE BEGINNING IMMEDIATELYTODAY.THAT’S THE REASON TO LEGISLATORSBACK TO CRAFT.IN CONSULTATION WITH THEGOVERNOR AND HIS OFFICE AND THEIDEAS THAT THEY HAVE PUTFORWARD.TO CRAFT A PLAN FOR SMALLBUSINESSES IS OUR HOPE THAT BYTHE BY EARLY NEXT WEEK WE WILLBE ABLE TO UNVEIL THAT PLAN.WE WILL BE ABLE TO APPROPRIATEDOLLARS INTO THAT PLAN AND OURSMALL BUSINESSES WILLIMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO RECEIVESOME RELIEF WANT EVERYBODY TOKNOW THAT WE AGREE THAT FOR USTO WORK TOGETHER IS A PRIORITYAND I THINK THIS SHOWS THAT WECAN DO THAT.I WANT TO THANK THE GOVERNOR FORHIS LEADERSHIP AND SETTING UPAND PLEASED TODAY TO ANNOUNCETHAT THAT WE’RE HERE READY TOMOVE FORWARD AND HELPMISSISSIPPIANS AND THAT’S THAT’STHE MAIN THING.SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FORLETTING US BE A PART OF THISPRESS CONFERENCE GOVERNOR.MR. SPEAKER LIEUTENANT.GOVERNOR.THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOURLEADERSHIP OF OUR STATE.APPRECIATE YOU I BELIEVE THEYBOTH SAID THAT THEY NEED TO GETBACK OVER TO THE CAPITOL TO GETTHEIR WORK STARTED A