Lawmakers end work after passing road, oil spill money bills
Mississippi lawmakers created a lottery to fund highways, increased state transportation aid for cities and counties, and divided $700 million in oil spill damages during a five-day special session that wrapped up Wednesday.
Mississippi lawmakers approve bill to create a state lottery
The Mississippi House reversed itself Tuesday and passed a bill to create a state lottery in the Bible Belt state where churches have long opposed it.
Lottery bill passes Mississippi Senate but falters in House
Mississippi legislators split late Monday on whether to create a state lottery, leaving uncertainty about what will happen.
Mississippi Voices: Proposed lottery corporation removes all safeguards against cronyism
The legislature is about to create a $30 million a year slush fund for Gov. Phil Bryant at this special session.
Mississippi lottery bill advances, but more work remains
Mississippi could be inching closer to creating a lottery and leaving the list of six states that don’t offer the game of chance.
Lottery and aid to localities advance in special session
Mississippi is closer to having a state lottery and diverting existing tax money, all to improve roads and bridges.
Restaurant tax: City, county on same page with restaurant tax
The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors and Columbus City Council passed matching resolutions during special meetings Wednesday for a new restaurant sales tax proposal on the eve of a special session of the Mississippi Legislature.
Mississippi governor calls special session on transportation
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant on Tuesday issued the official document to call lawmakers into special session Thursday to discuss more money for roads and bridges.
New restaurant tax agreement hits several snags
The odds of getting a new restaurant sales tax in Columbus in place by the end of the year appear to have gotten longer as a dispute between the city and county over a separate issue continues.
Mississippi Voices: State’s infrastructure problems need deliberate, smart plans, not a rushed special session
Mississippi desperately needs a long range plan to deal with highways and other basic infrastructure.
Bryant says special session for roads and bridges coming
There may not be a deal yet on transportation funding among legislative leaders, but Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says he’s ready to call lawmakers back into session.
Call grows louder for legislative special session on internet sales tax
A growing chorus of governments across the Golden Triangle is asking the Mississippi Legislature to convene a special session and consider diverting some internet sales tax revenue to the local level.
Restaurant tax: Smith, Younger agree on reducing restaurant tax floor
Monday, in its first meeting since the 2-percent county wide restaurant sales tax that funds the Columbus Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau died in the Legislature, the CVB board elicited a compromise from local legislators the board hopes will revive the tax and ensure the future of the bureau and the projects it supports.
Top Mississippi lawmakers at odds over increasing gas tax
Mississippi House leaders are proposing a new long-term plan to put hundreds of millions of more dollars into transportation, days after Gov. Phil Bryant ordered more than 100 locally maintained bridges to be closed because they are in dangerous condition.
Restaurant tax: Conflicting ideas fuel efforts to revive restaurant tax
Several issues still need addressing if the city or county hope to see a 2-percent restaurant sales tax restored after it expires June 30.
Southaven’s story: A year without a restaurant tax
Barring some sort of miracle in a yet-to-be-called special session of the Mississippi Legislature, Lowndes County will lose its 2-percent restaurant sales tax and, with it, quite possibly the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau that relies almost exclusively on those funds.
Restaurant tax: Smith’s votes on sales taxes show inconsistency
Rep. Jeff Smith said his opposition to Lowndes County’s failed request for an extension on its 2-percent restaurant sales tax was based on his belief that “new” tax should first be approved by the voters.
Restaurant tax: CVB looks at budget amid cuts from two-percent tax loss
It’s the nature of the job for tourism officials to look ahead and in the aftermath of this week’s failed effort to extend Lowndes County’s 2-percent restaurant tax, that is what Nancy Carpenter was doing Wednesday morning.
Slimantics: Another ‘successful’ session
The Mississippi legislative session ended Wednesday not with a bang, but with a whimper, to borrow a line from T.S. Elliott.
Restaurant tax: Legislators fail to reach tax agreement for CVB
The bill to extend Lowndes County’s 2-percent restaurant sales tax is all but dead, as local business, government, economic development and tourism officials begin to absorb the bleak consequences.