Indianola Lions Club member Roy Stubbs invited our local House of Representative member, Mr. Otis Anthony, to give us an update on the last session of the MS Legislature and his work on the behalf of his constituents in District 31.
Representative Anthony stated that this was his 5th session in the legislature and that his main goal is to work with all members, regardless of party affiliation, on meeting the needs of his constituents as well as all citizens of Mississippi. He stated that $1.8 billion was given to the State of Mississippi in federal stimulus money due to the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the federal money spent in Mississippi has gone to city and rural water services. More specifically, the following distribution have been made: $247 million for public school teachers’ pay raises, $27.5 million to community colleges, and $125 million has been given to our state universities.
Representative Anthony was influential in securing the following funding to projects in his district which include:
$7.5 million for the construction of a men’s dormitory at MS Delta Community College.
$1.5 million for improvements to the Greenville Airport.
$2.5 million for the B.B. King Museum.
$1.5 million for the Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Center in Ruleville.
$400,000 to remove asbestos from the Humphreys County Courthouse.
Various funding for water system improvements for the Towns of Sunflower, Inverness, and
Doddsville.
Mr. Anthony stated that there is $350 million federal stimulus money remaining for the 2023 Mississippi Legislature to distribute for public projects in the state. His district lines have recently changed to include more of Bolivar County due to the redistricting that went into effect in March 2022. Representative Anthony stated that he will continue to strive to bring help to his district through his willingness to work with all members of the state government of Mississippi.
