Bill directs all BP funds to South MS

The Mississippi Senate Appropriations Committee passed SB 2176 on Jan. 15 that would direct 100 percent of the BP oil spill settlement money into an account for Mississippi coastal projects. The bill created the Gulf Coast Restoration Reserve Fund, which would hold the money separate from the general fund. The bill was authored by Sen. Brice Wiggins (R-Pascagoula). The bill heads to the full Senate for consideration. Wiggins wrote a similar bill last year that died in the House of Representatives. (WLOX 01/15/18)