Your tax dollars at work
JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn said weeks ago that he would form a group to study the pros and cons of starting a state lottery. As the group met for the first time Wednesday, Gunn repeated his opposition to the game of chance.
"I do not believe a lottery is based on sound economic policy, and it violates a number of conservative, Republican principles," Gunn, a Republican who is also a leader in his local Baptist church, said in a news release.
"The purpose of the study group is to gather information to show that the lottery is not the windfall that all its supporters claim it will be," he said. "I have not had anyone who has voiced support for the lottery provide me with any documentation showing why or how it is a good thing. At the very least, I hope the findings from this group will provide us with information upon which we can make an informed, reasoned decision."
Mississippi is one of six states without a lottery, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Some legislators have tried for years to start a lottery in this state, but those proposals have faltered amid opposition from conservative religious groups and, to a lesser extent, from casino interests.
Republican Gov. Phil Bryant said in his State of the State speech in January that Mississippi should consider starting a lottery because the state is losing money as residents drive to Arkansas, Louisiana and other places to buy tickets, particularly when they're tempted by multimillion-dollar jackpots.
Bryant is calling lawmakers back to the Capitol for a special session starting June 5 so they can set budgets for the Department of Transportation and the attorney general's office for the year that begins July 1. He has not released a full agenda for the special session and has not said whether he will include consideration of a lottery.
The lottery study group met Wednesday at the Capitol, though no public notice was given in advance.
Members are House Gaming Committee Chairman Richard Bennett of Long Beach and fellow Republican Reps. Chris Johnson of Hattiesburg and Mac Huddleston of Pontotoc; Democratic Reps. Nick Bain of Corinth and Cedric Burnett of Tunica; Mississippi Gaming Commission director Allen Godfrey; Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs; and James Barber, executive director of the Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review. Lawyers from the attorney general's office and the Gaming Commission will help the group, as needed, according to Gunn's news release.
One of the most persistent lottery proponents in the House, Democratic Rep. Alyce Clarke of Jackson, was not appointed to the study group.
So Mr Gunn, please do complete your biased study (his own words "the purpose...is to show the lottery is not the windfall...) while the state's lottery players take their money to neighboring states.
congress should do a study why they scam the goverment out of so much money.
How can it be bad for Mississippi but good for 40 other states, smh. This is a state still stuck in the past!! Really, u need a study group?
Exactly, they have Casinos,...follow the Lobbyists.
I read two conflicts of interest: Firstly Bible Thumper for even suggesting this.
Secondly: The casinos don't want it...kind of reminds of another state where what the casinos want the casinos get. No lottery there either--Nevada.
This is messed up. A lottery in the State of MS would improve the economy. Many states have it as a Scholarship Lottery for students in their state but they can determine what programs to use the money to improve what in their state and it provides proceeds for many state programs. This is why MS is so far behind compared to other states. They misuse church as the excuse from making MS a better state, but it is really demons keeping the state in unnecessary poverty, behind the times, unnecessary limitation and other good that a State Lottery would improve for MS, if you look over my shoulders. This man is using his own twisted beliefs to hinder the lottery from the State of Mississippi like a fool. It is one of the few states that does not have the lottery. Something is wrong with that. They should have eliminated tobacco, cigarettes, etc. from the State of Mississippi instead and I would still have by big brother and sister in the land of the living; that is if they were truly making decisions best for the citizens in the State of MS. They don't have to play but it should be available for those who do and use the funds to improve the State of Mississippi as many other states have already done. They getting on my nerves with these biased decisions; it would provide hope, opportunities, increased jobs, funds to actually improve many areas in the state rather than all them complaints I see in the new. It is a shame that narrow-minded leaders still exist in decision-making offices in MS. They pissing me off about this, actually and because they cannot see the big picture. MS ghosts still making ridged decisions int he office is the root of much of the crime because so many know they are unnecessarily limited in ways that should not be by 2017. Even the group study is focused on why the lottery would be bad for the state rather than studying the improvements that others states have made since they incorporated the lottery in their state. How truly stupid? WHY THE LOTTERY WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI IS WHAT THEY NEED TO BE STUDYING; they are even focused in the wrong direction for whatever reason. In conclusion, this is actually eliminating would could significantly improve the State of Mississippi with with the money while they keep what continually cause problems instead. smh
As if being a Baptist Church leader automatically makes Mr. Gunn correct. Get real!!! Have you seen "Greenleaf?" Anyways, I'm glad I do not live in backwards-thinking Mississippi. I do, however, live in a Pick 4 utopia--Texas, where Pick 4 plays four (4) times a day! I have won countless times. So, you know wha? Jimmy Crack Corn!
Very well written post. Sad thing is those in that backwards state will never get to read it; doubt Todd has any subscribers from the state of Mississippi. So that minister and casinos which fight the lottery will probably 'win' and their residents will 'lose'.
Kudos to my adopted state of Kentucky and their forward thinking lottery. Not many states offer on-line lottery ticket sales. Though I don't play them, wouldn't be surprised if someday they offer pick 3 & 4 to the mix.
Bleudog101, if you will notice, the first reply was from a Mississippi resident. One who, I might add, will continue to take her lottery $ across the state line into Louisiana.
Can't believe I missed that! Hope I'm more attentive in the PICU tomorrow!
Mississippi voters get what they vote for. They also get what they pay for.
PICU Bleudog101, you a nurse? Bless you for taking care of those babies. I retired from psychiatric nursing last December.
No, A respiratory therapist; sad job a lot of the time. Planning on retiring this December.