For more than two decades, Rep. Bobby Moak, D-Bogue Chitto, has watched business boom and roads improve in northeast Mississippi and the Mississippi Delta.
Tupelo and Meridian have grown by leaps and bounds. Tunica has transformed from a dot on the map to a casino gamling hub that pumps millions of dollars into the local economy annually.
Moak was first elected to the House in 1984. He will run unopposed in the upcoming state-wide elections, ultimately guaranteeing an eighth consecutive term.
Over that same stretch, it’s little coincidence, in his view, that vast improvements and growth have occurred in the portions of the state that produced the Legislature’s three House speakers over the last 35 years.
Moak’s view also has a lot to do with his decision to pursue the position following House Speaker Billy J. McCoy’s retirement once the Legislature reconvenes in January 2012. If successful, Moak will become the first person from southwest Mississippi to hold the position since John Junkin of Natchez retired in 1975.
The Speaker does not have the ability to pass a bill on his own; a House majority is still necessary. Some votes, like reinstating the McComb motel tax, require a three-fifths majority.
But the position carries the power of influence.
“The House always looks at legislation the Speaker introduces,” Moak said. “The office has influence with the membership.”
Moak witnessed the best and worst of politics during McCoy’s tenure. In a rare show of unity on the House floor, McCoy was elected to the position unanimously in 2004. Four years later, he eked out a 62-60 vote over Rep. Jeff Smith, R-Columbus. Smith will again vie for the position in January.
Moak said the House was divided after McCoy defeated Smith, who received every Republic vote from the majority-Democrat House.
“It became a vicious chamber. It made it harder to run the House without everyone at the table,” Moak said. “We need to listen to all points ... It makes it harder if you don’t have room at the table.”
If successful in his bid for the position, Moak plans to bring a different approach than his predecessors. He said he will seek an environment where all views will be heard to reach a compromise.
“I’d like to take a stab at trying to get everyone to their goal.”
Moak also sees business opportunities in southwest Mississippi, with tourism positions on the County Music and Mississippi Blues trails; a waning but stable timber industry; and a variety of road projects, with a four-lane Highway 24 as a strong business route.
Winning the position will separate Moak from the House Gaming Committee, which he has chaired the last eight years. Biloxi-based Island View Casino contributed $5,000 to his political campaign in 2010, and Las Vegas-based Harrah’s Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman and Kathleen Welsh contributed $2,500.
Despite the potential separation, Moak said he is ready to ascend to the Speaker position.
