Appropriations and bond bills that create a partnership between the state and a metal fabrication company called Steel Dynamics is expected to be signed into law soon by Governor Tate Reeves. Lawmakers convened in Jackson yesterday for a special session and were able to pass the three bills through both chambers in just a few hours. Governor Reeves says the state is investing around $245 million, with an expected capital investment by the company of $2.5 billion.
“They are a fantastic employer in the Golden Triangle today,” says Reeves. “They came out with this plan to do three different projects, and they announced that sometime in late July, and we just felt we ought to win all three of them. And we went to work to do exactly that.”
Steel Dynamics has agreed to create at least 1000 jobs within the first few years of operations at this new plant, and the average salary will be around $93 thousand. But some lawmakers say the company could exceed those goals.
While the bills passed with bipartisan support, some lawmakers raised concerns about the state not addressing the hospital closures happening in rural Mississippi, or the water crisis in Jackson. Senate Minority Leader Derrick T Simmons says major hospitals in both Greenwood and Greenville are at risk.
“We were rushed to Jackson to figure out how to continue giving away more of Mississippi’s money to secure 1,000 jobs when we routinely come and leave millions of dollars on the table by refusing to expand Medicaid,” says Simmons. “Imagine how else we could have spent millions of dollars. How many lives we could have saved? How many hospitals and jobs and livelihoods we could have saved.”
Democratic lawmakers shared that they have three bills ready to file that would aid hospitals and fund repairs for Jackson's water system, but they can not be filed this year unless the Governor approves them to be part of a special session.
Governor Reeves says the state legislature will have a chance to address major issues again during next year’s regular session.
