Second term Republican governor stated that he would have supported unsuccessful Senate efforts to make the lottery process more transparent. These efforts, which were made possible by an amendment from Sen. David Blount (D-Jackson), were rejected by the majority of Senate. Bryant stated, “The state should have open meetings and open records. I am always for that.” One of the proposals that will be considered during the special session that began Thursday is the lottery. It was created to raise additional revenue to support multiple infrastructure needs in the state and local government. The Senate and House will swap bills on Friday. The House will consider the lottery bill passed by the Senate on Thursday. On Friday, the Senate will examine a revenue bill passed by the House on the first day of session. The House bill’s primary source of revenue is a diversion from use tax revenue. This means that the 7 percent Mississippians tax on purchases made outside of Mississippi, such as through the internet, will be diverted from the state general fund to local government. The two bills together are expected to bring in more than $200 million each year for infrastructure. The House bill also allows for $300 million in bonding or debt to fund immediate infrastructure needs. Friday’s announcement by the governor indicated that he expects the House to add language to the lottery bill in order to prevent the state from allowing internet or video lottery. The governor didn’t object to the House leadership initially having $50 million in special projects or earmarks in the legislation. He said, “I will leave that up to both the House and Senate negotiators.” “It is not in the original bill. However, the legislative process frequently amends bills. “I certainly won’t stand in my way.” At this point, the earmarks are not in the legislation._x000D