During a daily COVID-19 press briefing, Governor Tate Reeves castigated the Mississippi legislators for blocking his ability to spend the $1.25 billion in federal pandemic relief money.
Reeves also challenged the legitimacy of the recently passed bill by citing several statues in the Mississippi Constitution.
READ MORE: Reeves, Hosemann Disagree On The Distribution of CARES Act Funding
Both chambers, the House and the Senate gaveled in on Friday. The bill was brought to the floor in the house and was unanimously passed with a 112-0 vote and immediately released to the Senate for concurrence or nonconcurrence.
The bill was argued in the Senate. Senator Chris McDaniel brought up his concern that the bill was moving through the process too fast. Senator John Horhn was concerned on where all the funding would be going.
Senator Melanie Sojourner also questioned if they were moving to fast on making the decision of changing the authority. She claimed to have several Emergency Management Directors call her not wanting it to be taken from the Governor.
While the bill passed unanimously in the House, it was passed in the Senate as well but with 2 no votes. These votes were Senator McDaniel and Senator Sojourner. Senator Horhn voted “present.”
The bill will now go to the Governors desk where he will either approve or veto it.
The House and Senate are adjourned until May 18th, 2020.
