New BP bill in legislation

BP settlement dollars would be set in an account for coastal projects under Senate Bill 2167 passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said today.
The bill, by Senator Brice Wiggins of Pascagoula, creates the Gulf Coast Restoration Reserve Fund which would hold the money separate from general tax dollars. The bill heads to the full Senate for consideration.
Lt. Gov. Reeves said, “I continue to believe the vast majority of the BP settlement should be spent on the three coastal counties where the disaster occurred. It is important to separate these dollars so they can be spent on projects that create jobs to spur the local economy on the Coast which will ultimately benefit the entire state of Mississippi.”