Gov. Reeves calls special legislative session on record $2.5B economic development project

Gov. Tate Reeves on Monday called a special session of the Mississippi Legislature to convene Wednesday regarding a possible $2.5 billion business investment that would include aluminum and biocarbon production facilities.

The session will begin 10 a.m. Wednesday, the governor announced in a tweet Monday, and he said it may only last one day.

The economic development project "includes a flat-rolled aluminum production facility, biocarbon production facilities, and certain other industrial facilities," according to a news release. "It will also include infrastructure improvement projects. The facilities will be located in the Golden Triangle Region."

The project would bring 1,000 jobs to the "Golden Triangle," an area encompassing Starkville, Columbus and West Point. According to Reeves, the average salary for those jobs would be $93,000, roughly twice the state's median household income. According to 2020 census data, the median household income in Mississippi was $46,511 while per capita income was $25,444.

Reeves said it would be the largest economic development in the history of the state, with a $2.5 billion capital investment. He said that was roughly twice the previous record.

"The Mississippi Legislature has helped us build a business climate that encourages economic growth. Job creators around the globe want to be in Mississippi. And — together — we are proving that every day!" Reeves said in a tweet.

While it is unclear exactly what actions the legislature will need to take in order to secure the project, the state has provided incentives to large employers in the past. In a tweet, Reeves said he has been in discussion with Speaker of the House Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, the leaders of the legislature's two chambers.

"Looking forward to full legislative bodies taking swift action for what could be a 1-day session!" Reeves said in the tweet.

The Legislature is not scheduled to reconvene for its 2023 regular session until early January.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi legislature called to special session on big business plan