Jackson Jambalaya

panem et circenses

this kinda shit is what SHOULD be illegal, not worrying so much about a little pot or the tint on someones windows

Disgraceful. I support this particular issue of legalizing sports betting but the overarching theme of corporations essentially bribing politicians is a cancer on our state and country. Wonder how much Blount got from the other side to kill it?

If I’m reading this correctly, this is proof positive again, politicians looking out for themselves first, if not flat out bribery.

I doubt anyone is surprised about this info. At some point the legislature needs to allow casinos to be anywhere in the state. There definitely needs to be one in the Jackson metropolitan area.

to 4;03.....theres no ''essentially'' to it. lobbying is legalized bribery pure and simple.

@4:40 it is not really bribery when you are honestly convinced that this is what is best for Mississippi. And if you don’t like the laws then start a referendum to change the law!

And, 3:48 ----- why not both! Why get rid of your vice as being illegal and just making theirs?

IMO, both should be illegal, and punished.

Palms greased with Super Bowl tickets for the whole family, plus hotel rooms? Airline tickets? Rental car? Meals? Seating in a skybox?

Is the fact that legislators can do payola smelling stuff like this both legally and on the down low a bug in how things really work in the 'Sip?

Or is stuff like this a feature of how things work in the 'Sip?


Hmmmm.

Thanks for checking in Jason.

As a Mississippian, I own a lot of shares of DKNG so I am fine with this. You would be too if you weren’t a poor who has no investments.

Everyone should hire lobbyists John Morgan Hughes, and you too will be famous and make the news. 🤣

This is just like what the late Sen. Tommy Gollott of Biloxi did before he pushed for casinos on the beach.

@ 4:53 - WTF do you mean by 'start a referendum'? Where have you been, Rip Van Winkle....we have no referendum process, thanks to Delbert!

Tip of the iceberg.

I wonder if "Mississippi Today" also conducted an in-depth investigation into the (anti-mobile sports betting) lobbyists ?

It's odd that when the House almost unanimously passes a bill to allow such, and Senator David Blount, (Democratic Chairman of the Senate Gaming Committee) ... lets said bill die in his Committee. Many citizens have questions.

His own party routinely barks about "the end of democracy" ...
but Blount refuse to allow a simple piece of legislation for a floor vote ?

Mr. White says this would be “a financial boon to the state”…. yeah, right - just like legalizing alcohol, casino land-based gambling, and bringing in the lottery was supposed to be the panacea for all our ills. How did all these things play out?

The difference in this and what Chokwe did is in reporting. Lobbyists have to register. One was over the table and the other was allegedly under the table and clearly in exchange for a favor. Very thin line between a gift, contribution, and bribe.

What else would anyone expect from someone as immature and average as Speaker White. The hypocrisy is amazing.

Physicians can’t even take an ink pen anymore (see Sunshine Act). Yet, these politicians…both in MS and DC…take trips and gifts. Always rules for thee, but not for me. I support legal mobile betting in MS, but this is absurd. Let’s get a Sunshine Act for all state legislators and employees. Any and all expenses should be publicly available online

Clarke enjoys the perks.

The Senate stated early in the the 2025 session that they were against on-line sports betting. Don't try putting this on the Senate. There were also House members that went to the Superbowl!

Spoken like a Mississippi Legislator scumbag.

I am in no way defending that POS former mayor of ours, and hope he gets a good stretch in the pokey, but I don’t see a lot of difference in what he did and what Jason did. They both took money from someone wanting to benefit from that gift. Bribery is legal as long as you follow certain rules.

You can thank Democrat Delbert Hosemann for the power he has given to the likes of Blount in the Senate.

As for the Barksdalers, their only objective is pursuit of the liberal agenda. Read any of KF's summaries regarding the corruption and incompetency of Lumumba and understand that Kid Ganuchump and his indy team leaguers didn't report on any of it. And now they have trotted out David Hampton. LMAO

Just one more disappointment for this district 48 constituent.

Didn't get a budget done this year, at least we got mobile gaming!

9:01 with the win.

That was a really long article just to say that everyone is following the law to a T. Good God at this sentence: "Thanks to a loophole in Mississippi’s lax lobbying laws, there is no public report to date of the expensive weekend in lobbying reports that are supposed to document spending on behalf of state employees."

Seriously, this all you got?

They are all the same, except that those receiving them have passed laws to make some of them "legal."

Dang it, I'm going to have to buy a KF tumbler now!

How big of an idiot is the staffer and her husband to draw attention to this?

Rules for thee, not for me!

Taking gifts from lobbyists is the very definition of bribery or used to be. Those we elect are supposed to represent everyone in their district, not just the ones who can give them the most gifts.
It was a dark day when the Supreme Court began gutting McCain Feingold initially began gutting the law in 2007 and all but killed it 16 years after passage. Money and greed at every level of society has contributed to us not being a country Of the People and By the People, but a country ruled by and for the richest of us who can't resist the temptation to demand unwavering loyalty all the time. Those we elect serve US, not themselves! They get paid a modest amount for a reason! Our White House was never built to be a gilded palace. Indeed, for over a hundred years ,every citizen could go there to "petition" the President. There was free public access until the 1940's and it was 1995 ( the bombing in Oklahoma of the Federal building )before public traffic on Pennsylvania Ave ended.
It was a sad day when in 1995, when it was closed to traffic. It is the people's house (not a palace) and most Presidents respected the history and restored and decorated without permanently altering the historic first floor. I hope that newly " gilded" moldings in the Oval (and I hope no place else) can be restored without damage.

If you go to Tico's on week nights while the House & Senate are in session you can see the lobbyist entertaining and deals being made.

Different rules for different public employees.

I worked with a Mississippi state agency that dealt daily with members of the public. It wasn't unusual for staff members to receive thank you notes from constituents who's had some thorny issue resolved -- sometimes, those notes were accompanied by gifts. If the gift was flowers or a plant, the staff member was not permitted to keep them at his/her desk, they were required to put them in the public area of the agency. When the flowers or plant died, the vase became the property of the agency.

If the gift was anything else, like a $15 gift card to Chick-Fil-A or a trinket for your desk, the employee was required to write a note of thanks and send the item back to the giver. Staff were always told this was the law.

I guess the speaker's office is exempt.

@10:38. 2005 called to let you know it is 2025 now and what your saying hasn’t been true in a very long time. They go to places look like Table 100 and Koestler Prime now.

Sounds like politics as usual. Nothing to see here

How much wiil it cost, and who is getting paid off to get this passed? Makes you think!

Just what our kids need, easy access to 24/7, 365 anywhere, anytime gambling. Just wait until your seven-year-old unlocks a phone and starts placing wagers.