Bryant stated on Twitter that “it will address infrastructure repairs and maintenance, and a plan for allocating BP money to prioritize our Gulf Coast’s economic growth.” According to sources close to negotiations, the governor called even though there has not been an agreement between Senate and House leaders. Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn met behind closed doors to discuss ways the state could provide reprieve for counties that have several bridges shut down in the last few weeks. Nearly 500 state-owned bridges are currently closed. Many counties don’t have the funds to make the necessary repairs. This is because a provision would require counties and cities to match any state funding received. Reeves would like to make it mandatory for counties and cities that receive state funding to match theirs with theirs. Gunn, who represents Hinds County which has the highest number of bridges closed in the state, does not believe that local governments should be required to match state funds. The same impasse led to negotiations for infrastructure funding being halted during the regular legislative session. Senator Willie Simmons (D-Cleveland), who is also the Senate Transportation chairman, stated that he believes counties should be eligible for some state funding to repair bridges. “But I believe the counties themselves should have skin in the game.” BRIDGE Act dead as infrastructure funding negotiations collapse “No bill is worse than a bad bill,” Gunn said to Mississippi Today in March, just minutes before he killed Reeves’ infrastructure funding plan. “We believe that our proposal, which did not include a match requirement, brought real dollars to the counties and cities. “We believe our proposal, without the match requirement, resulted in real dollars to the cities and counties.”