MS House bonds to support HII-Ingalls

JACKSON, Miss. – Mississippi’s House Ways and Means Committee is moving forward with a proposal (House Bill 321) to add $45M in state bond debt to finance several projects, including improvements to the Huntington Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula. It is not clear whether the proposal will survive in the state Senate, where leaders have been reluctant to increase the state's bond debt. HII-Pascagoula is one of Mississippi's largest private employers with some 11,500 workers. Committee Chairman Jeff Smith (R-Columbus) said it is part of a multi-year commitment the state is making to the shipyard that has multiple defense contracts. (Source: The AP 02/13/18)