Mississippi governor signs $300 million bill

Published 10:00 am Wednesday, May 18, 2016

House Bill 1729 (http://bit.ly/1TGH5CZ ) becomes law July 1.

The projects must be approved by the three-member state Bond Commission before the state can issue bonds to take on long-term debt. The commissioners are the governor, the state treasurer and the attorney general.

Treasurer Lynn Fitch has called the bill a “Christmas-tree-collection of earmarked goodies.”

Some of the projects in the bill:

— Mississippi State University music building: $10 million.

— University of Mississippi science center: $10 million.

— Delta State University Zeigel Hall renovation: $7.9 million.

— Alcorn State University staff housing: $7.5 million.

— Mississippi Valley State University Edna Horton Hall renovation: $7.5 million.

— University of Mississippi Medical Center: $7.5 million.

— Mississippi University for Women demonstration school renovation: $7.1 million.

— Mississippi State University dairy science and poultry science complex: $4 million.

— College Board Education and Research Center repairs: $1.6 million

— Ingalls Shipbuilding improvements: $45 million.

— Community colleges: $25 million.

— Local bridge replacement: $20 million.

— Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History: $16.6 million.

— Mississippi Development Authority economic development and housing funds: $15 million.

— Renovations to Mississippi Coliseum, build new Mississippi Trade Mart: $10 million.

— East Mississippi State Hospital: $7.5 million

— State government buildings: $5.5 million.

— Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Center in Meridian: $5 million.

— Build middle school for Starkville-Oktibbeha school district at Mississippi State University: $5 million.

— Mississippi Community Heritage Preservation Grant Fund: $2.5 million.

— Small municipalities: $2.5 million.