Rep. Sam Mims likes the view from his seat in Mississippi House these days.

Mims, who might be described as one of the rising stars in today’s Mississippi Republican Party, likes the success that comes with being in charge. With fellow Republicans serving as governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the house, the GOP controls the agenda at the state Capitol.

Mims remembers a time a few years back when the view wasn’t so bright and rosy. The state representative from McComb spoke Wednesday to the Rotary Club of Natchez about the dark days of his party when they were in the minority. For seven years, Mims watched much of the Republican agenda wither in the Democratically-controlled House.

That all changed in 2011 when the GOP gained control of the House for the first time ever, Mims said.

Being a member of the party in charge comes with perks. It also comes with pitfalls, like having to explain the failure of legislation important to constituents.

Director of the Natchez Convention Center Walter Tipton asked for such an explanation Wednesday afternoon when he queried Mims on why the legislature only appropriates $6 million for statewide tourism when surrounding states commit to much bigger tourism budgets. For example, Alabama budgets $18 million and Louisiana budgets $20 million for tourism, Tipton pointed out.

“Tourism is important to Natchez and important to our state,” Tipton said.

State tourism leaders, including Natchez’s own Lyn Fortenbery, who is president of the state tourism association, failed to convince legislators this year to add to the state tourism budget.

Mims offered a vague response to Tipton’s question.

“For some reason that has been a difficult issue for the last three years in the Capitol,” Mims said. “We have to set it as a priority, because I do know how important it is.”

Interestingly, the GOP has been in control each of those three years.

Could it be that despite its importance to Natchez and the state, tourism doesn’t match the priorities of Republican lawmakers? After all, Mims called the current budget — a budget without an increase for tourism — the best budget in 15 to 20 years.

Since the GOP took control, Mims has been appointed to the all-important appropriations committee and to the conservation and water resources committee. More importantly, Mims was appointed chairman of the public health and human services committee. Mims has wasted little time getting bold legislation passed, including a law that could effectively shutdown the last Mississippi abortion clinic and a law that requires drug testing for some new applicants for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. Positive drug tests would result in mandatory drug counseling. Who would pay for the $16,000 a month counseling per person is unclear at this point.

Mims clearly has the support of the GOP leadership when it comes to these issues. Passage of both bills was all but certain with Republicans control in Jackson.

If Mims has the ear of the governor and other GOP leaders on these two issues, surely he can get an explanation as to why state tourism does not receive the same monetary support surrounding states give it. At the same time, maybe he can use his influence to convince lawmakers that tourism is important to the state.

If the state can spend $16,000 a month on drug treatment for benefits applicants, surely it can spend a few more dollars on the state’s fourth largest industry.

Ben Hillyer is the design editor of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3540 or by e-mail at ben.hillyer@natchezdemocrat.com.