Mississippi lawmakers will head back to Jackson in early May to hash out agreements on a cigarette tax increase, car tag relief and Medicaid, Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant said today.

Bryant, in Meridian this morning before heading to Newton for a noon meeting, said he believes legislators got “bogged down” in the regular session but will reach an agreement on theose issue in a planned May 6 special session.

“We’re only 11 cents apart on the cigarette tax,” Bryant said. “Hopefully, we can resolve some issues and find some common ground. We’re trying to use some logic and it’s important that we use ‘real numbers’ when we’re talking about the revenue it will generate. And we have to look at the long-range of this thing.

But I think we’re close.”

More details in tomorrow’s edition of The Meridian Star.