INITIATIVE MEASURE NO. 20
SPONSOR: Elizabeth Stoner, 2139 Caledonia Steens Road,
Caledonia, Mississippi, 39740
SUBJECT MATTER: Gaming/Gambling
PROPOSED BALLOT TITLE: Should the Mississippi Constitution be
amended to prohibit gambling and gaming, including lotteries?
PROPOSED BALLOT SUMMARY: This amendment would prohibit
gambling and gaming, including lotteries, within the State of Mississippi.
Charitable bingo and raffles for nonprofit civic, educational, wildlife
conservation or religious organizations are exempt from this prohibition.
Existing gaming establishments would have two years from the effective date of
this amendment to cease activities. The Legislature would be required to enact
laws to enforce this amendment.
ORIGINAL FILING: March 24, 1999
STATUS: Ruled unconstitutional by Hinds County Circuit Judge
James E. Graves, Jr., May 6, 1999
Initiative Information
The official ballot title and ballot summary for an initiative measure are
prepared by the Mississippi Attorney General's Office. Initiative petitions are
valid for one year. According to Mississippi law, for an initiative petition to
be sufficient a minimum of 91,673 certified signatures must be gathered; with at
least 18,355 certified signatures from each of the five congressional districts.
The number of signatures required represents 12% of the total number of votes
cast for Governor in the last gubernatorial general election. All signatures on
the petition must be certified by county Circuit Clerks as those of registered
Mississippi voters.
For more information on the initiative process in Mississippi, consult the
Mississippi Constitution of 1890, Section 273; and Miss. Code Ann., Sections
23-17-1 through 23-17-61 (1972).