DMR head: ‘We are ... closed except for fisheries and marine patrols.’
Gov. Tate Reeves on Thursday had federal funds sent to the state Department of Marine Resources so they could operate in some capacity over the Fourth of July weekend.
He called the action “a temporary fix” for the MDMR in the aftermath of its closure due to state legislators in Jackson ending their session without setting a budget for the new fiscal year.
However, the DMR office in Biloxi remains closed to the public.
“We are still closed except for fisheries and marine patrols,” DMR Executive Director Joe Spraggins said Friday. “We are operating to meet our federal mandates for fisheries and marine patrols. If there is a boat that capsizes or another safety issue, we will be there.”
Harrison, Hancock and Jackson County sheriff’s offices also have boats on the water and are assisting DMR marine patrols along with officers with the state Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
“We are on the water to ensure we have the safest weekend possible for the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” Spraggins said.
The state Senate and House adjourned before passing a new appropriations bill for DMR for its new fiscal year that began Wednesday.
“The legislature is locked in a fight over the Dept of Marine Resources,” Reeves said in a tweet immediately after lawmakers failed to adopt a budget. “No budget. I support Senate position! House leaders are dug in on earmarking favored projects with recovery funds — huge change. New fiscal year starts now. With no budget, DMR can’t operate. It has shut down.”
