Mississippi will get the first $150 million from BP economic damages Friday, Attorney General Jim Hood said.
Hood said he fears Mississippi lawmakers may try to balance the state budget with money from BP — something the Coast delegation, Gov. Phil Bryant and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves all have said they oppose.
“After years of litigation and work to identify the economic damage caused by this catastrophe,” Hood said in a press release, “we reached an agreement that would help to make our coastal communities whole again.
“However, I am deeply concerned that the state’s legislative leaders may use this payment to try to cover up their self-created budget hole.”
The money is supposed to cover economic damages caused by the 2010 explosion and fire on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf south of the Mississippi coast. The rig ended up spewing millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf.
The Sun Herald is contacting officials get reaction to Hood’s statement and will update this story.
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