Gambling initiative author says lawsuit may kill proposal

"If I go forward they'll sue the pants off us and tie us up in court," said Elizabeth Stoner of Eupora, an aide for state Rep. Charlie Smith, I-Eupora. "If I reintroduce it they'll tie it up in court.

Stoner needs the signatures of 98,336 registered voters by Oct. 7 for the proposed constitutional amendment to be placed on the November 1999 ballot.

A lawsuit will likely challenge the wording of the proposed ballot initiative.

"This pushes me further back, so I can no longer make the October deadline," Stoner said.

Stoner said Attorney General Mike Moore's office initially approved the wording of her initiative, then suggested it be revised. The revised petition was later delivered to Stoner.

The original version will appear in newspapers, however, and Stoner said she cannot change the wording.

"I think you can expect some (legal) action," said Andy Bourland of Mirage Resorts, the Nevada company building the $600 million Beau Rivage on Biloxi Beach.

The Mirage lawsuit is expected to allege that the initiative, by prohibiting efforts to repeal the amendment within four years, would be illegal.

Bourland said the lawsuit will likely be filed shortly after the Secretary of State publishes the draft initiative this week in Mississippi newspapers. Objections to the bill's language must be filed within five days in Hinds County Circuit Court.

Moore's office said state law requires that the ballot initiative inform voters about the loss of state revenues that a gambling ban would cause.

That is not expected to be part of the Mirage lawsuit because, according to law, the company can object only to wording published in the newspapers, not to an omission.

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