Mississippi Casino Measure Could Remain Unresolved As reported by the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger: "House Speaker Pro Tem J.P. Compretta said Thursday the special session could end without a compromise on casino leases — a measure linked to lawmakers' approval of moving casinos inland.
"'It's not that crucial," said Compretta, D-Bay St. Louis, of a dispute over how much casinos on state tidelands must pay to lease the property. Disagreement over the lease payments halted debate over the bill. "Compretta wants House Bill 45, a measure to move casinos 800 feet onshore, to be sent to Gov. Haley Barbour, and the Senate is holding it up as a bargaining tool for recalculating the tidelands leases in House Bill 44. "…Senate and House conferees, who had been trying to reach a compromise on calculating lease payments, walked out shortly after 5 p.m. without a deal, after the House rejected a Senate compromise…"
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