Dispute over CARES Act funds continues at Mississippi capitol

The feud over dispersing funds from the CARES Act was one of the topics of discussion during the governor’s daily briefing.

The controversy stemmed from who should be in charge of giving out the money.

Petty political differences were what Governor Tate Reeves said was happening within the state legislature.

He claimed some members care more about power than Mississippians.

The house and senate were called back in session Friday afternoon. More than two weeks earlier than expected; particularly to discuss a bill that gave the legislature power to have a hand in deciding where money from the CARES Act goes.

The CARES Act was drafted in Washington to help states in the coronavirus crisis.

Mississippi is getting $1.25 billion.

Gov. Reeves said the Emergency Management Act put him in charge of divvying out the money. But not everyone agreed.

Governor Reeves said Friday that legislators want him to call a special session and hear them beg for him to fund things that need funding.

As for the governor, he said the buck stops with him.

“I don’t want my people that elected me to this office, and even those who voted against me, I don’t want them to not get what they need because we’re going to wait a week,” Reeves explained. We’re going to wait two weeks, or we’re going to talk about it in a month. We don’t have a week. We don’t have a month. The emergency is right now. It is every single day.”

The bill passed by both the house and the senate basically states that the governor can’t spend any money.

The governor was asked if he had plans to veto the bill — at the time he stated he’d have to read the bill in its entirety before that decision.