Governor says state is responding to Jackson's water crisis

Gov.

Tate Reeves says he has spoken to Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and the state is helping the city with its water crisis.

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE STATE DOINGTO ASSIST JACKSON?GOV.

REEVES: AS MACK MENTIONED,WE HAVE 52 COUNTIES IN THE STATEOF MISSISSIPPI THAT HAS DECLAREDEMERGENCY.THE MAYOR, HE HAS A LOT OFPRESSURE, HE IS GOING ATTACKEDFROM ALL SIDES -- WHEN HE SAIDYESTERDAY THAT HE COULD NOT GETIN TOUCH WITH ME, THAT JUST WASNOT ACCURATE.THE FIRST I HEARD FROM THE MAYORWAS YESTERDAY AT 1:38 P.M.

VIATEXT, AND I RESPONDED.ALL OF THAT IS SEMANTICS.WHAT IS IMPORTANT -- WE FOCUS ONGETTING THE PEOPLE THAT NEEDHELP, HELP.WHEN YOU LOOK AT MANY OF THECHALLENGES THAT THE CITY OFJACKSON ARE DEALING WITH NOW,THEY ARE NOT CHALLENGES THATWERE BORN IN THE LAST DAY ORLAST WEEK.MANY OF THESE CHALLENGES INTHEIR WATER SYSTEM WEREBORN OVER LITERALLY 30, 40, 50YEARS OF NEGLIGENCE AND IGNORINGTHE CHALLENGES OF THE PIPES ANDTHE SYSTEM.THAT 50 YEARS OF DEFERREDMAINTENANCE IS NOT SOMETHING WEARE GOING TO FIX IN THE NEXT SIXTO EIGHT HOURS.WHAT WE CAN DO IS WORK VERY HARDTO GET THE CITIZENS OFMISSISSIPPI AND THE CITIZENS OFJACKSON, THE THINGS THAT THEYNEED.YESTERDAY, AND BY THE WAY, MYEMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM HASBEEN IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITHPEOPLE FROM THE CITY OF JACKSON,DATING BACK TO LAST WEEK ANDHAVE PROVIDED THEM ANYTHING THATNEEDS -- MEETS THE THRESHOLD FORWHAT FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES, WEHAVE GOTTEN THEM WHAT THEY NEED.THE WAY THE FEDERAL PROCESSWORKS -- AND WE CANNOT IGNOREFEDERAL LAW.WE ARE UNDER THE STAFFORD ACTAND THE STAFFORD ACT GUIDESEVERY PROCESS THAT IS ALREADY INPLACE, THE SAME PROCESS THAT ISIN PLACE FOR THE ICE STORM LASTWEEK BECAUSE OF THE EMERGENCYDECLARATION I DID PRIOR TO THESTORM COMING IN, IS THE SAMEPROCESS THAT IS IN PLACE WHEN WEHAVE A HURRICANE.THE SAME PROCESS WE HAVE INPLACE WE HAVE A TORNADO.IT IS THE EXACT SAME PROCESS WEHAD IN PLACE WHEN WE HADFLOODING A YEAR AGO.I WILL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OFSOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVEDONE OTHER THAN PROVIDINGBOTTLES OF WATER, ETC.,YESTERDAY THERE WAS AN ISSUE ANDCONCERNS, REGARDING FIREPROTECTION.THE FIRE PROTECION THAT IS ANISSUE INSIDE OF THE CITY IS DUETO THE LACK OF WATER AND THEINABILITY FOR THEM TO UTILIZETHEIR SYSTEM, SO WHAT HAS TOHAPPEN ACCORDING TO FEDERAL LAWIS IT IT HAS TO BE DETERMINEDTHE OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTALENTITIES CANNOT SUPPLY WHAT ISNEEDED BEFORE IT CAN BE ENTEREDINTO THE SYSTEM WHICH THEN GOESFOR THE STATE TO EITHER PROVIDEIT, OR FIND OTHER COMMUNITIES TODO SO.WHEN THE FIRE SERVICE BECAME ANISSUE EARLY YESTERDAY AND ITBECAME CLEAR TO MY TEAM, MYLAWYERS, OUR EMERGENCYMANAGEMENT TEAM, WE PUT THE CITYOF JACKSON AND CONTACT, WHICH IDO NOT KNOW WHY THEY WERE, WITHHINDS COUNTY, AND WHAT WE FOUNDIS THAT HINDS COUNTY HAS 11VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS, ANDTHOSE 11 DEPARTMENTS ARE ABLEAND CAPABLE OF PROVIDING FIRESERVICE FOR THE CITY OF JACKSONSO THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE DOING.THE REASON ALL OF THAT ISIMPORTANT IS BECAUSE HAD THATSTEP NOT BEEN TAKEN TO SEE IF WECOULD GET IT HANDLED AT THELOCAL LEVEL AND THE STATE HADAUTOMATICALLY STEPPED IN, OURFRIENDS AND PARTNERS AT THEFEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVESAID, THAT IS GREAT YOU STEPPEDIN, BUT WE ARE NOT PAYING FORIT.WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO THETAXPAYERS OF ALL THE STATE TOMAKE SURE THAT WE AREEFFICIENTLY MANAGING THISPARTICULAR SITUATION, AND WE AREGOING TO DO THAT AND I KNOW THEMAYOR HAS HAD A HARD TIME, ITHAS BEEN TOUGH AND MAYBE HEMISSPOKE YESTERDAY, AND THAT ISOK.I AM NOT WORRIED ABOUT THAT I DONOT THINK ANYONE SHOULD BEWORRIED.THE ONLY THING WE SHOULD BEWORRIED ABOUT IS GETTING THESUPPLIES TO THE PEOPLE IN OURSTATE THAT NEED IT AND WE THINKTHAT IS CERTAINLY IMPROVING.SOME OF THOSE ISSUES AGAIN ARENOT GOING TO BE SOLVED.WE HAVE TO HAVE THE PUBLIC WORKSDEPARTMENT, THE CITY HAS TOTEMPORARILY FIX THE PIPES THATHAVE BEEN VERSED.THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTORCOMMUNICATED WITH MY PERSONALSTAFF AND THAT IS GOOD.VOTE WE