JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Some lawmakers want to kill a Mississippi program that subsidizes shopping centers.
Senators adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 2922 Wednesday that would end the subsidy, which reimburses up to 30 percent of development costs by giving sales taxes to developers.
Lawmakers closed the "cultural retail" program to new applications, but three proposed malls — one each in D'Iberville, Flowood and Ridgeland — applied before the deadline and could get about $175 million.
Sen. David Blount, a Jackson Democrat, says the program wastes money because it creates low-paying jobs and competitors for existing malls.
Expanding Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland to include a Costco store, which could get $29.6 million in subsidies, faces opposition from nearby residents.
The bill moves to the House for more work.
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