Two weeks before the planned return date, lawmakers went to the Capitol to claim spending control over the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funds of $1.25 billion. The bill was passed by both the Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn, and Republican Lt. Governor. Reeves was repeatedly argued that he should be the sole spender of funds. Delbert Hosemann disagreed. Gunn stated that the governor believes that if he spends the money quickly, it will be more efficient.” But what does this say about the citizens’ participation in the decision-making process? “Under our system of government the only place and the only place where citizens have the right to make decisions about how their taxpayer dollars will be spent is in Congress,” Gunn said on Friday morning. Members amended Senate Bill 2772 to move $1.15 Billion of federal funds to the budget contingency account, which allows federal money to be spent where it cannot without legislative action. The “transfer bill”, which is passed each year to create a mechanism for moving state funds around to meet different budget needs, was the bill that was amended. The federal money was left in a fund where state agencies could access it if they needed it for COVID-19. The House approved the bill unanimously with a vote of 112-0. Only Sens. Only Sens. Chris McDaniel (R-Ellisville) and Melanie Sojourner (R-Natchez), voted against it. Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, voted present. Due to COVID-19 safety issues, the Legislature was in recess from mid-March. However, they had scheduled a May 18 return. Reeves made a lot of comments about how he would spend the funds. Legislative leaders decided to call the legislators back to session on Friday so that Reeves could not begin to use the stimulus funds. Reeves hosted a news conference just a block away from the Capitol while the Senate debated the bill. Reeves accused legislators of “inciting petty political differences” and stated that under “the worst case scenario (because the legislative action), people would die.” He claimed the Legislature was trying to “steal” federal spending authority. He stated, “I can’t do my job without funds that the Trump administration has acquired and expects governors to use.” Reeves stated that he used the funds in the same way as former Gov. Haley Barbour used federal money after Hurricane Katrina 2005, the Great Recession 2008-09 and as former Gov. Phil Bryant used state funds after the 2010 BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Reeves stated that the Legislature’s actions could cause 300 additional people who were hired to deal with unemployment claims to be fired because they would be paid using federal funds. The $100 million was left in a fund for coronavirus immediate needs. Legislators will return later this month to appropriate additional federal funds to combat the pandemic. The governor implied that the transfer to the Legislature might have meant there wouldn’t be enough money for unemployment claims. However, the money for unemployment claims is in a separate money pot and is not affected by the Legislature’s action. He indicated that he could ignore the bill, citing it as being in conflict with other state laws. However, he did not specify whether he would veto it on Friday. The governor has five days to veto any bill passed by the Legislature while it is in session. Reeves stated that a governor is responsible in an emergency. You cannot manage an emergency through a committee. Someone has to be in control.” Legislators have repeatedly stated that no single person should have sole responsibility for the funds. Hosemann stated that “we think the governor did a good job with the pandemic.” “This isn’t about the governor…this is about how the money was allocated to Mississippi and should be allocated by Congress,” said Rep. Jason White (R-West) and Speaker Pro Tem. The CARES Act provided $1 billion in additional funds to state governmental and educational entities. $34 million was also sent to the governor for education purposes. Friday’s address was not addressed by the Legislature. The circumstances in which the legislators met were bizarre. The Capitol is normally bustling during session but was almost empty. Before anyone could enter the building, they had to have their temperatures checked. The chambers were not open to everyone. Many legislators listened to their speeches in the House’s offices via the sound system. Members were allowed to visit the chamber to ask questions or make motions, and to vote. The Senate separated senators by placing them in the gallery, which is usually where visitors watch. Most people were wearing masks. To support this important work, you can make a regular donation to us today as part of the Spring Member Drive.