With $300 million of the $1.25 billion granted to the state of Mississippi under the CARES Act already set aside for small businesses, Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann and the rest of the Mississippi Legislature are working towards appropriating the remaining $950 million.
On Monday, Hosemann told Dave Hughes of The JT Show that the legislatures current priorities are healthcare, education, and further funding for small businesses.
We specifically want to address the healthcare issues our hospitals, our cities, and our counties have gone through. We particularly want to help small businessesand we particularly want to do our distance learning, so those are the priorities for us out of this bill to spend this money, Hosemann said. All of those are ongoing. Ive got a checkbook, and Im filling in the blanks. When I get to 1.25 billion [dollars], Im going to quit.
While the U.S. Department of Treasurys guidelines do not allow any federal funding to be used for lost revenue, Hosemann thinks the money can completely alter Mississippis education system.
We cant fill in the budget with this [money], but we can do distance learning like weve never been able to do before in Mississippi, Hosemann said. Ive got too many kids that cant get on the internet.
According to Hosemann, if the legislature pledges $75 million to broadband expansion, the states co-operatives have offered to match that number.
That was a great step forward by our Mississippi co-operatives, Hosemann said. We are very encouraged by that, so I think you will see those negotiations going on all week as to how would be the best way for the state to put up x dollars in having extensions to rural areas that do not have coverage.
On top of providing relief dollars to the sectors of healthcare, small businesses, and education, Hosemann wants to pay for a months worth of personal protection equipment (PPE) in preparation for a future pandemic.
Ive been very vocal about the fact that I dont want to ever get us like this again where were bidding against everybody in the world, Hosemann said. What I want to do is appropriate31 days of every PPE we need in Mississippi, and I want to put it in storage.
To watch the full interview with Hosemann, check out the video below.
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