Jackson Free Press

House Gaming Committee Chairman Bobby Moak, D-Bogue Chitto, had a difficult time making a decision on a bill paving the way for a state-run lottery to support education. House Bill 337 would create a statewide special election for the purpose of allowing the electorate to vote on establishing a state lottery as a form of legalized gaming.

Lottery supporter John Mayo, D-Clarksdale, told the committee that lotteries in other states are making big money for their respective programs.

A 2009 estimate from the South Carolina Budget and Control Board's Web site reveals the South Carolina General Assembly appropriated more than $2.2 billion in South Carolina Education Lottery net proceeds towards programs for higher education, K-12, and community education initiatives between January 2002 and June 2010. The state's Allied Healthcare Initiative, which provides adult skills education, received more than $16 million in lottery appropriations. County libraries also benefited, receiving $14 million in appropriations since 2002.

Rep. Alyce Clarke, D-Jackson, who authored the bill, said legislators needed to make a stand for education, especially considering the hard budget year.

"We have to find some way to save our schools, especially in light of all these budget cuts," Clarke said, referring to more than $430 million that Gov. Haley Barbour wants cut from the state budget, including $270 million the governor cut from K-12 and higher education.

Nevertheless, Moak was unwilling to commit to bringing the bill up for a vote before the general committee on Monday until he could run a behind-the-scenes poll from committee members to determine if a majority would stand behind it.

"I'm not sure the Senate would touch it," Moak told the sub-committee. "And with the governor against it, you're swimming upstream."

Barbour, a Republican, said he opposed creating a state lottery at a January announcement of another round of budget cuts. He described lotteries as "bad public policy."

"I can literally remember the mayor of Washington, D.C., doing radio advertisements urging people to buy lottery tickets," Barbour told a roomful of reporters at a Jan. 22 press conference. "… I'm comfortable licensing (casino) gaming, but I don't like the idea of the state actually being in the game."

Barbour voiced this opinion at the same press conference where he announced he was cutting the state's public education budget by up to 10 percent—the very enterprise that Clarke's lottery proposal would help fund.

The governor, who is a former tobacco lobbyist, then described the lottery as "a tax on the poor," and said he's not interested in "taxing the poor in a lottery," even though in past years he supported a continued tax on food and groceries--one of the most regressive taxes, according to advocates for the poor--over a tax increase on tobacco products.

Barbour also argued that a lottery would take funds from the state's successful casino industry, although some casino lobbyists say the lottery poses significantly more competition from video game gambling at truck stops.

Previous Comments

ID

155682

Comment

Oh well, lottery in MS is DOA for now. The good thing about Powerball is that winners have 6 months to claim the prize. If I ever win the jackpot, my first order of business will be to establish residency in Texas. After that, I can submit my ticket for payment. Texas is one of 6 US states that does not have a state income tax.

Author

Jeffery R

Date

2010-02-02T13:51:27-06:00

ID

155696

Comment

The states with no state income tax are: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. That would be a total of 7 and not 6 as I previously commented. My source on this is Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_income_tax. If I ever win the big one, I will hire someone that specializes in tax matters, as opposed to relying on Wikipedia :).

Author

Jeffery R

Date

2010-02-02T15:56:12-06:00

ID

155698

Comment

It's actually 7: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Also, Tennessee limits their income tax to dividends and interest only, I believe.

Author

RobbieR

Date

2010-02-02T16:00:48-06:00

ID

155704

Comment

New Hampshire, Nevada, Tennessee and Florida are four of them. Not sure of the other. I'll stand corrected if none of the states I mentioned are true.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2010-02-02T17:11:30-06:00

ID

155707

Comment

It more than 6 states it's 9 Alasaka,Florida,Nevada,New Hampshire,South Dakota,Tenn,Texas,Washington, and Wyoming. At least that's what a google search comes up with. :)

Author

BubbaT

Date

2010-02-02T18:30:37-06:00