State Rep. Chris Bell (D) (Photo from Bell's Facebook)
- It was the second attempt in consecutive years to allow a casino to be developed in Mississippi’s capital city.
Jackson’s odds of allowing a developer to establish a casino in the city limits fell sharply on Wednesday.
HB 1879, the City of Jackson Revitalization Act, died on the floor of the Mississippi House of Representatives Wednesday afternoon after House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar (R) moved the table the measure for lack of support.
It was the second attempt in consecutive years to allow a casino to be developed in Mississippi’s capital city.
READ MORE: Attempt to bring a casino to Jackson dies in the House after a flurry of opposition
State Rep. Chris Bell (D), the bill’s author, said the legislation would create a resort area for the establishment of one casino in the capital city, calling it an economic development driver for the area. The casino would also be part of ongoing efforts to bring Jackson back to “its former glory” while providing thousands of jobs and stimulating surrounding businesses, Bell said.
The project, which was to be built about 6,000 feet from the state Capitol, was touted as a way to create a hotel with hundreds of rooms, an RV park, restaurants, and more while employing upwards of 6,000 people with a possible $70 million economic impact, per projections from Visit Jackson.
“So, it’s in a safe place, so you don’t have to worry about your safety,” Bell said while describing the bill on the floor as it would be within the CCID and under the purview of the Capitol Police.
The City of Jackson Revitalization Act would have only allowed for one casino permit, amending state law to allow for the casino outside of the coast, river and Native American lands areas.
Rep. Bell added that there was a provision in the bill that would have protected the profits of casinos in Vicksburg for up to three years if they were adversely affected by the new casino in Jackson.
State Rep. Lamar added that when a developer is willing to put aside money into a fund to reimburse other casinos for any losses, that is a major development.
“I think that alone shows those folks are serious,” Lamar added.
Bell’s effort revealed a rift within his own party as House Minority Leader Robert Johnson (D) of Natchez rose to oppose the measure, defending small casinos in neighboring markets. Yet, Bell fought for his area, telling colleagues, “Quite frankly, I don’t give a damn about what other casinos have issues with. I’m going to stand up for the city of Jackson.”
The developer interested in building the casino was willing to invest roughly half a billion dollars into the city as part of the development, Lamar said, noting that that kind of investment is worth discussing.
However, after the bill failed to gain enough support in the chamber, Lamar tabled it, effectively killing the measure at the deadline. He said that the lack of support crossed party lines with resistance coming from the Coast and River Delegations.
Lamar said he expects similar bills to come up again in future legislative sessions, but not this year since there are no other bills in the House or Senate that have the same goal.
“It’s probably not going to happen this year,” Lamar said.
Jeremy Pittari
