Legislation to reconfigure the Jackson airport board cleared its last procedural obstacle Wednesday afternoon and is on its way to Gov. Phil Bryant, who has said he intends to sign the bill into law.
Sen. Josh Harkins, R-Flowood, sponsored the legislation to replace the current five-member Jackson Municipal Airport Authority with a nine-member board whose members will be culled from the greater Jackson area, including Rankin, where the airport sits, and Madison counties.
The Senate approved the final version of the bill April 14, but was held on a motion to reconsider; that motion was tabled early Wednesday afternoon.
The legislation was amended from the original draft to state that five of the nine members, selected by a combination of picks from the governor, lieutenant governor and Jackson officials, must come from the city of Jackson. The legislation also states that the Legislature must sign off before the new board sells any property.
Both the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority and officials with the city of Jackson have threatened legal action should the measure become law.
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