Both the state and federal Houses passed bills in recent days that will help Natchez &045; and both projects are proof that we have to keep pushing for the things we want and need for our community.

Last week, the U.S. House passed a bill that would be the first of many steps toward creating an interstate to link Natchez to Augusta, Ga.

An interstate is one of the biggest items on everyone’s wish list as we look to the future of economic development.

The language in the bill, which would commission a study for the Natchez interstate as well as another in the Southeast, is similar to another bill which didn’t make it late last year.

But lawmakers continued to fight for the bill, and now it is headed to the Senate.

Meanwhile, the Mississippi House of Representatives has passed a bond bill with a variety of projects, including $10 million for downtown revitalization in Natchez.

This is again another try to get the Natchez money passed. The Senate had excluded language about the Natchez project from an earlier bill.

But the money &045; as would funding for projects throughout the state &045; would be a great boost to our economy and to our community’s development and quality of life.

We hope both of these projects are given due consideration &045; and that the perseverance to get them approved pays off.