by Hunter Dawkins

Tuesday afternoon Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant issues his proclamation to convene the Special Session for the State Legislature, which will happen this Thursday, August 23.  The Governor listed two items on his agenda for the chambers to reach an agreement on.

The act to create a Mississippi infrastructure modernization plan is the top priority, as the Governor directed the chambers to provide a portion of the state tax revenue to be distributed to municipalities for paying costs to all the roads, bridges, and streets that need repair.  Likewise, the proclamation declared the same tax revenue to be distributed to the counties for the same purposes.  Additionally, rehabilitation funds would be directed to partake in replacements and corrections under specific circumstances.

Finally, the last item mentioned is the creation of the state lottery.  The state lottery will have a board of directors and president, who will be selected by the Governor while being ratified by the State Senate.  All monies collected will be deposited into the State Treasury before being allocated to the Highway Fund.

Each day of the special session costs Mississippi taxpayers $10,000.