OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- State Sen. Brice Wiggins (R-Pascagoula) said he expects the coast legislative delegation will face a "fight" in the legislature to bring the billions of dollars in BP settlement money to the coast.
Wiggins made his annual "legislative update" presentation to the Ocean Springs Board of Aldermen at its Tuesday night meeting.
While he discussed several topics, much of the discussion centered around last week's announcement that BP had reached a settlement with the five Gulf states impacted by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The $18.7 billion settlement includes $1.5 billion for Mississippi, with a payment of $150 million expected in January 2016 and then annual payments of $40 million beginning in 2019 and running through 2033. The $1.5 billion is in addition to the $659 million Mississippi received in early payments from BP.
"It's going to be a fight in the legislature over that," Wiggins said. "My guess is the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker understand the damage was done here on the coast."
But, Wiggins noted, the coast legislative delegation "is often outvoted -- even though we (the coast) contribute two-thirds of the state's economy."
Alderman Greg Denyer recalled that after the state received the early payment from BP, some $1.7 million was "spent on pumps for duck ponds in north Mississippi."
"I think we're all entrusting you and the others to make sure that money is spent here," Denyer told Wiggins. "The coast has a lot of projects which need to be done that everyone can be proud of."
Source: Brice Wiggins expects a "fight" in the legislature over BP money
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