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Lawmakers wrestle with bond bills, budget

Emily Le Coz and Jimmie E. Gates

The Senate adopted a $200 million bond bill Sunday, and lawmakers agreed on another $249 million bond issue that includes $6 million for the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital expansion project.

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said the larger bond bill earmarks $68.2 million for colleges and universities and $25 million for community and junior colleges.

Gov. Phil Bryant asked lawmakers to approve $10 million per year for three years for the hospital as part of its $150 million expansion project.

Bryant had expressed concern last week that Reeves wasn't on board with the move.

"It's a good start," Reeves said of the $6 million for children hospital project. "They do good work."

The IHL bond bill proposal, Senate Bill 2906, is expected to be voted on Monday.

On Sunday, the Senate adopted the conference report on House Bill 1630, authorizing up to $200 million with most of it for repair of deficient bridges on state highways. It also includes $20 million for state aid roads in counties and $18 million for the Department of Transportation to construct a bridge in Vicksburg. Also, $12 million over two years was earmarked for the Gulfport Aquarium and $500,000 for a Vicksburg Interpretive Center.

The few projects outlined in the $200 million bond bill raised questions.

"Is this the bond bill we had $400 million?" asked state Sen. Kelvin Butler, D-McComb.

Senator Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, assured Butler and others that a larger bond bill was coming for college and universities that include more projects.

Lawmakers voted on more than 100 bills Sunday but left some of the biggest funding questions up in the air, as they powered through the last few days of the session.

Among the looming decisions are how much money to give more than three dozen state agencies, boards and commissions, including the powerful Department of Corrections, Department of Transportation and Division of Medicaid.

Senators and representatives voted Sunday to send those appropriations bills back to conference where lawmakers from both chambers must hash out a deal.

Nearly 50 other appropriations bills, however, did earn final approval during the roughly four-hour work session at the Capitol. Passed were spending plans for the Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Library, Forestry and Soil & Water commissions, among others.

Their allocations are part of Mississippi's more than $6.2 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2016.

The House and Senate have until midnight Monday to pass the bills. Lawmakers hope to end the session by Wednesday or Thursday.

Contact Emily Le Coz at (601) 961-7249 or elecoz@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @Emily_LeCoz on Twitter

Contact Jimmie E. Gates at (601) 961-7212 or jgates@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @jgatesnews on Twitter.

Bond Bill highlights

•$68.2 million, state colleges and universities

•$29 million, Mississippi Development Authority projects

•$25 million, community colleges

•$20 million, Civil Rights Museum ($16 million, building; $4 million, exhibits, furnishings)

•$10 million, East Mississippi Community College Center for Manufacturing Technology Excellence

•$6 million, Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children

•$1 million, Elvis Presley Museum, Tupelo