State Infrastructure Plans

Mississippi lawmakers grapple with how to spend billions of federal funds

IS COVERING THAT HE JOINS USLIVE AT FIVE TONIGHT FROMTHE STATE CAPITOL... MONEY FROM THE AMERIC ANRESCUE PLAN IS STILL HAVINGTO BE HANDED OUT..THEPRESIDENT'S PLAN ISEXPECTING TO MEAN ABOUT4-POINT-5 BILLION MORE FORTHE STATE.LAWMAKERS ADMIT THEY A RESTILL TRYING TO FIND HOWTHEY CAN SPEND IT AND WHERE.A SENATE COMMITTEE ONHIGHWAYS A NDTRANSPORTATION MEETING ATTHE STATE CAPITAL TUESDAYAFTERNOO MN,APPING OUTPOSSIBLE SPENDING PLS ANBASED ON THE EXPECTEDINFLUX OF MILLIONS OFFEDERAL DOLLARS.<SEN.

JENNIFER BRANING/(R)HIGHWAYS ANDTRANSPORTATION COMMITTEECHAIRWOMAN: EVERYBODY ISHEARING DETAILS ON IT I AMSTILL TRYTING TO GET MY ARMSAROUND IT BUT I WANT TO BEREADY WHEN TT HAMONEY ISAVAILABLE TO MAKE SURE WE DOSPEND IT WISELY.

..LAWMAKERS ARE MANEUVERINGON HOW TO SPEND THE EXPECTEDARRIVAL OF 4- POINT-5BILLION DOLLARS IN MONEYFROM THE PRESIDENTSRECELYNT PASSEDINFRASTRUCTURE PLAN.

MANYOF THE FINER DETAILS AREUNCLEAR BUT THE BULK ISEXPECTED TO BEBROADBAND INTERNET<SEN.

WALTER MICHEL/(R)JACKSON-RIDGELAND-MADISON: JACKSON HASNEGLECTED ITS WATER ANDSEWER SYSTEM FOR MANY, MANYYEARS AND THEY HAVE GOTTENLUCKY BECAUSE THERE ARE TWOLARGE POTS OF MONEY THAT AREGOING TO BE AVAILABL E.SENATOR WALTER MICHEL IS AMEMBER OF A SENATESUBCOMMITTEE SET UP TOSTUDY WAYS TO SPEND THATMONEY FROM THE AMECARINRESCUE PLAN ACT.ABOUT 1-POINT-8 BILLN IODOLLARS STILL LEFT TO HANDOUT FROM THAT POOL OF MONEY.<SEN.

WALTER MICHEL/(R): GOTO LASTINGRO PJECTS:ROADIMPROVEMENTS, BRIDGEIMPROVEMENTSON MEY IN THATFOR HEALTH CARE ..OUR STATEHEALTH CARE PLAN FOR OURSTATE EMPLOYEES AND R OUSCHOOL TEACHERS HAS BLEDABOUT 40 MLIILON IN CA SHMAYBE LOOK AT REPLENISHINGSOME OF THAT MON EYHUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OFDOLLARS ARE EARMARKED FORSEWER AND WATER REPAIRS.THE CITY OF JACKSON'SWELL-PUBLICIZED NEED F ORTHAT IS EXPECTED TO COMEFRONT AND CENTER BUT OTH ERCITIES AND COUNTIES IN T HESTATE HAVE NEEDS TOO.SENATOR JOHN HORHN SAYSJACKSON'S ABILITY TO GETREMO OF THAT MONEY WILLLARGELY HINGE ON HOW THEYHAVE SPENT WHAT THEY HAVEALREADY RECEIVED.<SE JN.OHN HORHN/D-JACKSON:I DO BELIEVE TT HAIF THE CITY MAKES ACONCERTED EFFORT AND HINDSCOUNTY MAKES A CONCERTEDEFFORT TO USE THE MONEY TH EYHAVE GOTTEN FORINFRASTRUCTURE THEY WILLSEE E THSTATE OFMISSISSIPPI RESPOND INKIND.THE GOVERNOR STILL GIVING NOINDICATION ON A SPECIALSESSION TO SPEND SOME OF T HERESCUE ACT MONEY ...THEINFRASTRUCTURE MON EYHEADED THIS WAY IS NOTEXPECTED TO CLARIFIEDUNTIL THE REGULAR SESSN IOSTART DATE IN JANUAR Y.BUT THE STATE IS IN LINEO TRECEIVE THE EQUIVALEY NCOFAN ENTIRE STATE BUDGET, 6BILLION DOLLARS, IN NEWFEDERAL MO