Governor could dip deeper into state rainy day fund

Published 11:38 pm Tuesday, June 28, 2016

JACKSON (AP) — Mississippi House members will return Wednesday to finish giving Gov. Phil Bryant permission to take as much as he needs from financial reserves to cover a deficit of up to $75 million for the budget year ending at midnight Thursday.

Senators voted 33-14 Tuesday for a one-time removal of the $50 million limit on how much a governor can pull from the rainy day fund in a budget year.

Representatives might have voted on Senate Bill 2001 and gone home as well on Tuesday, but Democrats used a procedural vote to block this same-day consideration, complaining that Republicans had denied them detailed information about the budget process.

Email newsletter signup

“It’s been a pure dictatorship, from the top down,” said Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville.