When Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn named a nine-member committee to study the lottery, he said, “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.” Governor Phil Bryant stated, “It is sort of an anti-lottery committee. You all get together and tell us why a lottery won’t work, and I’m the speaker and I want you to do that. I appreciate the speaker’s position on this and we’re continuing to look at the numbers.” However, committee members said their duty is to gather information and compile a report–not to make a recommendation on the lottery.
The committee will look at the potential revenue a lottery could generate for the state, the social impact, the impact on casinos and the impact on other segments of the economy.
Two committee members, state Reps. Nick Bain and Mac Huddleston have stated their opposition to the lottery, but both said they plan to gather facts about the issue. Bain said, “I will be completely objective. I get paid to be objective in gathering the facts as an attorney. I will be on the lottery. I am looking forward to getting information that shows what the facts are. I think it will be nice intellectual exercise for all of us.” However, Bain added although he’ll be seeking facts, “The speaker and I are pretty much aligned. I can’t reconcile it with my personal Baptist faith.”
Huddleston said, “This is huge. A lot of decisions have to be made. We can’t just pass a lottery and go out and start printing cards.”
Lottery study committee member George Flaggs, who is mayor of Vicksburg, said, “I really am not taking a position. The speaker never told us or asked us to be for or against the lottery. He just wants the facts.”
The only committee member to vote in favor of the lottery amendment, which failed during the 2017 session, was state Rep. Cedric Burnett. House Gaming Chair Richard Bennett voted against the amendment but he’s widely believe to support the lottery.
State Rep. Chris Johnson also voted against the lottery amendment, along with Bain and Huddleston.
The other study group members are not House members. They are Allen Godfrey, executive director of the Gaming Commission, and James Barber, executive director of the Legislature’s Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review Committee. Lou Frascogna, special assistant attorney general and counsel to the Gaming Commission, also will provide input.
Mississippi is one of six states without a lottery. Supporters said the state is losing money because residents travel to Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana to purchase lottery tickets. That’s one of the reasons Bryant gave for considering a lottery now.
