GulfFuture Campaign

By Jefferey Buchanan, Oxfam America

Good news, especially for all of those who have been working in solidarity over the years, after Katrina and now after the BP spill, to push for prioritizing hiring impacted local workers along the Gulf Coast with disaster recovery funds. On the cusp of what could be billions of dollars coming to the state if a settlement emerges with BP or the RESTORE Act passes, Governor Phil Bryant of Mississippi signed the Mississippi First Jobs Act into law. This would be a state-wide first source hiring policy, one of the first in the nation, requiring public works contractors to first review Mississippi residents from the impacted areas for jobs created under disaster recovery contracts before considering other workers, including with funds under BP oil disaster or future natural disasters.

Cheers to Yumeka Rushing, Oxfam’s Mississippi based Policy Advisor, for quarterbacking this tremendous effort to rally Gulf Coast members in the MS delegation to lead this effort, friends from Asian Americans for Change, STEPS Coalition, and Gulf Restoration Network for their support and attending the signing ceremony, efforts of allies who helped to advance this bill and the groups and coalitions who supported the idea of policies to help local impacted residents getting hired in the BP disaster restoration projects from the Coastal Communities Coalition, Getting the Water and Jobs Right, Gulf Future Coalition, Gulf Coast Fund, Gulf Renewal Project, and beyond. Great step for Mississippi, and hopefully an example for other Gulf States. More work to come to ensure residents secure these jobs and necessary training, and we look forward to working with you all to make this a reality in Mississippi and beyond.

Read the Press Release