Legislator urges prayer, action from fellow Baptists

TALLAHASSEE (FBW)-Although some of his fellow legislators poke fun at the idea of a Baptist layman as chairman of the House Subcommittee on Gaming and Pari-mutuels, Rep. Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala) takes very seriously the assignment from House Speaker Johnnie Byrd (R-Plant City).

And, as an active member of First Baptist Church, Belleview, Baxley urges his fellow Florida Baptists to pray and to act on their anti-gambling beliefs as the State Legislature considers expansion of gambling in its forthcoming session. (For a profile on Baxley, see "Rep. Dennis Baxley: Man on a mission" in the May 10, 2001, issue of Florida Baptist Witness.)

"Most people have found it quite humorous that I'm the chairman of gaming and pari-mutuels," Baxley said Feb. 18 in an interview with Florida Baptist Witness following the first hearing on prospective legislation to permit video lottery terminals. "But after they get over the chuckle they realize that the speaker wanted someone with principles about a lot of things to represent him as his chairman on this committee."

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Although Baxley said that he thought it was important for the committee to hear from both proponents and opponents, he wants to make sure his fellow members carefully consider the long-range social and economic costs that gambling expansion is sure to bring.

"I realize that I'm one of 160 people that were sent to this Capitol to represent the people of Florida and I have a responsibility to my own constituents first and then to the well-being of Floridians across this state," he said. "But more importantly, I have a obligation to my Savior and Lord to be His ambassador. Hopefully, I can do it in a way that is honoring to Him and that is not antagonistic, but instead brings truth and light."

Baxley said that there is "tremendous pressure" in the Legislature favoring the video lottery terminals bill because of concerns about balancing the state's $54 billion annual budget and because of projections that VLTs could raise as much as $1 billion in annual revenues.

Noting there is more support for the proposal in the Senate, Baxley said "it's going to be a good arm-wrestling between now and the end of April"-the scheduled conclusion of the legislative session. President of the Senate, Jim King (R-Jacksonville), has repeatedly suggested that VLTs should be seriously considered by the Legislature.

Baxley urges Florida Baptists to pray and work on this issue.

"Florida Baptists need to be praying for these members to be principled in their evaluation of this issue and they also need to be contacting them with encouragement so that they don't just hear from proponents but that they also hear people who are taking the long-range view and are concerned about the implications to our country and to our state," said Baxley.

And, as chairman of the committee addressing the issue, Baxley said he "covets" the prayers of fellow Baptists since he is "at the fulcrum" of the debate. "I'm very at peace and honored to be here for such a time as this that we are weighing something that has something that has great definition for the future," he added.

"We as Florida Baptist and as believers have got to re-evaluate, do we want to be salt and light and shape the world or do we want to go run hide in a fortress and not make the difference that we're sent here to make?" Baxley asked.