The fight over Mississippi’s piece of the BP oil spill pie has begun in Jackson and it could likely get ugly before it is all said and done.

The state is set to receive $150 million in the first year of its $2.2 billion settlement with the oil giant in the aftermath of the 2010 disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the July agreement, $1.5 billion must be spent on environmental restoration and economic development, while the legislature can decide how to spend the remaining $750 million the state will receive over the next 17 years. On Tuesday, legislation cleared the state House by a wide margin that would set aside $50 million to be used to help repair dilapidated state highways and bridges.

That has not sat well with Coast delegates and elected officials in South Mississippi who believe all of the money should be spent in their half of the state. They’re backed by Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves in the state Senate who said he will fight to ensure the money is spent on the coast.

Apparently Reeves and many of those officials have forgotten tourists travel roads and highways all over Mississippi to get to their beautiful beaches and casinos and would like to do so on roads and bridges that are not crumbling.