District 32 State Rep. R. Dewith Carrier has prefiled a bill in the upcoming legislative session that calls for a local option election on video poker in Allen Parish.

The measure is intended to help offset money loss after the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana abruptly ended its annual financial contributions to government entities in the parish, according to Carrier. A compact agreement with the Tribe had allocated nearly $7 million annually in local funding, including $2.4 million for the Allen Parish School Board and $1 million each for the Police Jury and Sheriff’s Office.

“The only reason I am even considering video poker is because of the loss of the money,” he said. “I am very concerned. That is a whole lot of money to our little parish.”

Carrier thanked the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana for what it has done for the parish in the past with gaming revenues and support.

“They have created jobs and given us money for so long,” he said. “I don’t understand what is going on.”

The Coushatta Tribe contends that the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Supreme Court has indicated that states do not have the authority to tax Tribal nations.

“The power to authorize such payments to other governments resides exclusively with the federal government, a power that has never been exercised in the context of Indian gaming,” Tribal Chairman Jonathan Cernek said in a press release. “As a government, our primary focus is to care for our people including developing jobs, healthcare, and education. In light of the new federal order, mandatory payments to local governments are no longer required.”

Carrier said he is most concerned about what the revenue loss will mean to the Allen Parish School Board and its teachers.

“I am more concerned about our school teachers than anything and I am doing my best to try to negotiate and talk with some of the Coushatta Tribe and some of our elected officials,” he said. “We have got to do something to keep our teachers here.”

Under its agreement with the Coushatta Tribe, the School Board’s first $1.2 million is dedicated to teacher salaries. The remaining funds are used for curriculum and school projects, including repairs for schools that do not have the maintenance funds, according to Superintendent Brad Soileau.

HB 455 would allow the Allen Parish Police Jury to call for a parishwide referendum to allow voters to decide on the operation of video draw poker devices in the parish.

“What my bill does is call for a referendum from the people,” he said. “You either vote for it or not. All I can do is put it on the ballot and let the people decide.

“It’s the people’s choice, but I hope all the people think about our teachers,” he continued. “We have got to keep our teachers. We are losing them left and right and everybody around us can afford to pay them more.”

The proposition could appear on the October presidential election ballot in Allen Parish, if approved by state lawmakers and police jurors. The referendum would be for Allen Parish only, he said.

Carrier said he is unsure of how voters will react, but said he has been receiving positive feedback since prefiling the bill ahead of the start of the regular Legislative session which begins Monday in Baton Rouge.

“I haven’t heard many negative concerns about it because they are all concerned,” Carrier said. “I’ve talked to a lot of people and a lot of people have called me about it. I haven’t had any negative calls yet. I’m sure I will when the people really realize what I did, but I’m doing this to offset this money we are going to lose.”

No estimates are available on how much revenue video poker gaming could generate for the parish, but Carrier said it is expected to generate enough money “to do something for the teachers.”

In 1994, Allen Parish had 46 video poker machines, which over 20 months saw $2.8 million in bets and made $1.7 million in payouts, according to the American Press archives. Net profits remaining at that time were $1.1 million.

Local option elections later banned video poker in 33 parishes, including Allen Parish in 1996.