Editorial: Vote on Choctaw off-reservation casino

Monday, February 12, 2007  

$stalker "A clarifying vote on gambling in Jackson County is needed as soon as possible.

The Board of Supervisors' legal counsel is to report Monday as to what the county's legal options are on the gambling question.

A county election would help resolve the issue. At the least, the county needs to determine what its options are concerning gambling.

The gambling issued surfaced when the Mississippi Band of Choctaws proposed a $375 million casino resort on 100 acres near the intersection of Miss. 57 and Interstate 10. Chief Phillip Martin has requested a non-binding referendum for the November 2008 election. Martin has said if voters reject the project, the tribe will respect that decision. However, if the vote approves the project, the tribe will use that as leverage on Gov. Haley Barbour. The governor must approve the project. Barbour has said he opposes expanding gambling outside the counties where it now exists.

If voters approve gambling, then it should be allowed in the county regardless of a governor's decision. Gambling, like alcohol sales, is probably best left as a county option. For instance, if voters reject gambling, a governor should not be in a position to undercut that decision. Legislators ought to allow referendums on gambling that are binding, which should be another step in the state's laws on the gambling industry."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Vote needed on gambling (The Mississippi News 2/11)