The urgency of passing the budget for the agency has increased as it faces problems in making payroll by the end the month and as potential hurricanes batter the Gulf Coast. Since July 1, DMR, which provides marine and regulatory law enforcement services to the Gulf Coast, has not had a state budget. Lt. Governor Philip Gunn, Speaker Philip Gunn. Delbert Hosemann is calling for the Legislature to be re-instituted. The issue is the oversight of Gulf restoration funds Mississippi receives to lease oil and gas. The Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) is a federal revenue sharing program that benefits oil-and gas producing Gulf states. The state has approximately $46 million in GOMESA funds for this year. Sources in the legislature said Friday that a deal was reached for lawmakers to allocate $26 million for projects that have been approved or begun. The governor would have $10 million to approve projects. This is the same amount as the governor has approved since the inception of the program. The Legislature would approve the $10 million remaining. This deal would only apply to the DMR budget for this year and GOMESA funding. The legislature would continue to negotiate with the governor and Legislature about the control they have over projects and spending. Sources in the legislature said that there was urgency in resolving this issue and passing a DMR Budget. According to reports, the agency will have difficulty meeting its payroll by the end the month. There are also two possible hurricanes threatening the Gulf. These could make landfall in the early or mid week. DMR will need to have the ability to spend and budget in order to manage emergency work in the marine waters prior and after a storm. The original Mississippi Govs were the ones who created it in 2006. Phil Bryant and Haley Barbour controlled the approval of GOMESA project vetted through DMR. Although initially small, revenue grew steadily. Legislators and others have raised concerns over whether coastal protection and restoration projects are being chosen. Millions of dollars in GOMESA funds were granted to construct boardwalks near casinos and a Gulfport aquarium. The plan includes a tram system that was threatened with being “de-obligated” for failing to meet GOMESA requirements. Other projects have been criticized as not fulfilling the intended purpose. House lawmakers sought to include legislative oversight for GOMESA spending within DMR’s budget this year. The legislature, not the governor, has control over state purse strings. Governor Tate Reeves called it a “power grab” but said that he should keep the money under his control as his predecessors. The issue has divided lawmakers on the coast. Reeves was lieutenant governor for eight years and the Senate has refused to remove the governor’s GOMESA spending power. The $6 billion state budget was set by the legislature, and lawmakers left the capital July 1, still in limbo over the DMR budget. They were hoping to return within one week to negotiate DMR’s budget. However, a COVID-19 epidemic at the Capitol infected 49 legislators. The Capitol was closed for several weeks. In large part, they reconvened in August to override Reeves veto of most public education budget funds. The veto was defeated by the Legislature, marking the first time since 2002 that the Legislature overrode a governor’s veto. However, lawmakers remained in a deadlock over DMR budget and GOMESA expenditures. Normaly, the Legislature wouldn’t be able convene at this time of year. Instead, they would depend on the governor to call special sessions. The Legislature passed a resolution earlier this year that allowed them to convene again to address COVID-19 issues. It is possible that the Legislature could meet to discuss pandemics and then move on to other issues. To support this important work, you can make a regular donation to the Spring Member Drive today.