Senate Bill 3120 allocated $620 million to the Mississippi Department of Transportation. This was amended in the House, which increased MDOT’s funding of its three-year plan to $800 million. This amendment was subsequently approved by the House after Gov. Tate Reeves has earlier announced an overall $1 billion investment on transportation infrastructure projects and site development.
SuperTalk Mississippi further noted:
During an interview on MidDays with Gerard Gibert, Rep. Charles Busby, R-Pascagoula, said he is hopeful that the House’s version of the legislation will pass because there are no earmarks, or money allocated for one specific project within the entire plan, in the updated bill.
Busby, who is running for Southern District Transportation Commissioner, would prefer for every dollar granted to MDOT’s plan to be put to use. Earmarks would open the door for money to be leftover for overfunded projects. The unspent earmarked funds would not be eligible to be allocated elsewhere since they were specifically designed for one purpose.
SB 3120 currently sits in conference where it will be further debated and restructured.
