Editorial

I wish you could have been there. If you had, it wouldn't be necessary to convince you of the urgency of the matter: If Florida Baptists don't pray and act on our beliefs, the Legislature may adopt a dramatic and harmful expansion of gambling in our state.

The first legislative hearing on video lottery terminals Feb. 18 (see stories on page one and ten) was crawling with lobbyists from the gambling industry. Meeting in one of the largest hearing rooms in the Capitol, the room was full, demonstrating the heightened interest in the proposal that proponents contend will bring as much as $1 billion of trouble-free and much-needed annual tax revenues to the Sunshine State.

With the prospect of a tough legislative session in which every conceivable special interest will be lobbying fiercely to protect their piece of the pie and others who are open to any new revenue that doesn't include tax increases, some legislators will be only too happy to grab a billion dollars to help balance the state's $54 billion budget.

A month ago (Jan. 30 issue), I urged Florida Baptists to give their attention to the proposal of Senate President Jim King (R-Jacksonville) to allow video lottery terminals in Florida's pari-mutuel facilities. Sen. King's efforts on this matter have not abated. In a speech to the Capital Tiger Bay Club on the same day as the VLTs hearing, King "scoffed at the argument that video terminals will be 'the crack cocaine' of addictive gambling," according to a Knight-Tribune report published by The Florida Times-Union (Feb. 19). "We should at least look at this possibility before we look at any tax package," King said.

As much as King scoffs at the description, the hearing underscored the validity the "crack cocaine" moniker. Florida Baptist Convention Legislative Consultant Bill Bunkley told legislators about the addictive experiences of South Dakota citizens who got hooked on video lottery, while several Floridians spoke of their personal gambling addiction fueled by fast-moving and sensually gratifying video games available elsewhere. One of those citizens, a Winter Park psychiatrist who-ironically enough-treats persons with alcohol and drug addictions, testified to taking more than 100 junkets to Las Vegas to feed his gambling addiction.

Further, for legislators with ears to hear, compelling testimony was offered demonstrating that the costs of introducing VLTs (societal ills, government costs, etc.) overwhelmingly outpace any claimed benefits (tax revenues and economic activity).

As he told me in an interview following the hearing, Rep. Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala) is at the "fulcrum" of this debate in the Florida House of Representatives. A committed Baptist layman and member of First Baptist Church of Belleview, Baxley is chairman of the House Subcommittee on Gaming & Pari-mutuels, the panel with oversight on this and other gambling issues.

Alluding to Jesus' admonition to His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:13-16), Baxley challenged Florida Baptists to be "salt" and "light" and engage their legislators on VLTs so that they don't hear only from supporters of gambling expansion. He also "covets" the prayers of his fellow Florida Baptists and urges prayer for his colleagues that they would be principled when considering this issue.

Our brother in Christ is asking for our assistance; Florida Baptists, let's give him that support!