The Louisiana House has passed a bill that would allow voters in St. Tammany Parish to decide whether they wish to authorize commercial gambling.
Louisiana House representatives discuss legislative matters on the chamber’s opening day last month. This week, the lower chamber passed a bill that would allow voters in St. Tammany Parish to consider ending the longtime ban on commercial gambling. (Image:
Associated Press)
After stalling on Wednesday, House lawmakers yesterday voted 63-28 in favor of House Bill 702. Introduced by Rep. Mary DuBuisson (R-Slidell), the legislation would place a ballot referendum question before local residents during the next election. It would ask if they think the prohibition on commercial gaming in the parish should be lifted.
(The Center Square) – With little public discussion and no dissent, the Louisiana House approved a $4.9 billion multiyear construction budget Thursday.
The House approves legislation that would allow St. Tammany voters the chance to vote on whether or not a waterfront casino should be built just outside Slidell.
The bill was brought by Slidell Representative Mary DuBuisson who quoted recent survey results indicating local support for the right to vote on the issue. She said the poll shows 93 percent of parish residents want the right to vote on the question and 67 percent support the project.
DuBuisson pointed to a 2009 Gaming Control Board study shows Louisiana loses about 3.2 million people per year to Mississippi casinos. She said this project would potentially capture about a third of those losses and could generate 27.2 million in revenue for the state.
“I’m not Santa Claus,” Lafayette Republican Rep. Stuart Bishop said. “Sometimes, I’m the Grinch.”
Bishop, who as House Ways and Means Committee chair sponsors the annual construction budget found in House Bill 2, said he worked hard to ensure members would get projects to help stimulate the economy in their districts, while using most of the available state surplus. He said he focused on roads and bridges, drinking water, ports and airports.
Bishop said he also prioritized finishing previously funded projects because he didn’t want “engineers or contractors to be hanging out there not being able to be paid.”
May 13, 2021, 8:48 am ·
A troubled effort to bring a casino in the Louisiana City of Slidell has hit another roadblock as sponsors of twin bills on the matter seek to garner enough support to move at least one of the measures out of the Legislature and onto Governor John Bel Edwards’ desk.
News emerged on Wednesday that Rep. Mary DuBuisson lacked the votes she needed to get the full House floor to take up her House Bill 497.
The House lawmaker told reporters that
“there were a few questions that need to be answered” and that she wants to wait until she feels it’s the right time to have the piece considered by her colleagues. Rep. DuBuisson further noted that it is possible she will