House Bill 45
Jimmy PorterRemember HB 45! Why? Be-cause this bill has the potential to change the face of politics and politicians in Mississippi for years to come. This bill has made many Mississippi Baptists and non-Baptists alike realize control of this state is quickly slipping into the hands of the gambling industry and their allies.
On Monday before the special session, Jim Futral, William Perkins, Lee Yancey, and I met with Governor Haley Barbour and asked him to omit land-based casinos as a part of the special legislative session designed to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. His vision is for them to come back “bigger” and “better.” His desire for the Gulf Coast is for it to become a resort area with the casinos being the anchors for future economic development. To Gov. Barbour, moving the casinos inland a few feet doesn’t matter because it is “good policy” even though it might cost him “some votes.”
He not only put land-based casinos in the special session, but he pulled out all the stops to push HB 45 through the House and Senate. Our senators and representatives voted it in, but the one person most responsible for land-based gambling is Governor Haley Barbour. He tossed our legislature a very difficult and divisive bill and when it did not steam roll to victory, the troops (meaning the Mississippi Economic Council and the Mississippi Tourism Council, among many others) were called in to lean on the legislators.
The men and women who stood up to this pressure and voted against the expansion of gambling are to be commended. They knew where their constituency stood, and they stood with them. They were wise enough to see through the shallowness of the arguments offered by the casinos and their supporters. Not a one of them had to go back home and justify their votes to their constituents.
It was an honor to stand alongside these men and women. Please contact them to say, “Thank You.” (See list on bottom of page two.) They proved again what I have often said, “There are good men and women at the Capitol representing you and me who vote based on their Christian morals and values.”
One such person is Representative Carmel Wells-Smith of Pascagoula, who serves on the Board of the Mississippi Baptist Christian Action Commission. She was the lone member of the Gulf Coast delegation who voted to keep the casinos over water. Thank you, Carmel, for your courage and for the courage of all your colleagues in the House and Senate who voted with you!
Mississippians need to know that the debte on HB 45 was filled with emotional rhetoric and very little substance. The gambling establishments, the supporters of the bill, and the news media made it clear that if anyone opposed land-based casinos, they were denying jobs and keeping people homeless. They screamed that the casinos would leave. Just think about that for a moment. Would you leave a state that has the third lowest gambling tax rate in the nation? Would you leave a state whose regulatory agency appears to be your own private public relations firm? No!
The accompanying bill HB 44 dealt with tideland leases. It reduced the amount of revenue paid by the casinos to make improvements along the Coast, such as piers, parks, and reefs. The casinos not only wanted to move on land, they wanted to be there rent-free. It is all about the dollar. The gambling industry takes and takes and takes. Their thirst for money is never sated. Sad to say, but there are those in public office who would gladly give them the deed to Mississippi for a few more tax dollars.
How do people keep the state from being highjacked by the gambling and other special interest groups? First, get involved in the political process. Run for office. A few changes at the Capitol will be a start in the right direction. Secondly, we must communicate more clearly and more often with our senators and representatives. Hold them accountable for their votes. That does not mean they have to vote as one person desires every time, but pay attention to their voting patterns. Finally, do whatever it takes to be informed about the issues that impact our lives — and by all means, go vote!
Martin Luther, the Reformation leader, said, “The church is the font of hope for all the world. Let her therefore never shrink back from the controversies and struggles of the day.” The church must rise up and become a voice in the arena in which God has placed us.
For further information contact the Christian Action Commission at (601) 292-3329 or toll free outside Jackson at (800) 748-1651. E-mail at .