MASS.STEALTH BAN HEADS FOR THE HOUSE (Update)

21 March 2008

Economic Development committee votes against land casino proposal


In a 10 vs. 8 vote this week a key legislative committee in the Massachusetts legislature voted to recommend that lawmakers reject Gov. Deval Patrick's proposal to build three resort-style casinos in Massachusetts, all but dooming the bill this session. The proposal contains a 'stealth' clause seeking to ban online gambling in the state, seen by many as a protectionist move to sweeten the deal for land operators.

Observers say that vote has set the stage for a predictable outcome, and that a subsequent debate and vote in the state's House of Representatives will be a formality.

The Joint Committee on Economic Development rejection, which came after a four-hour delay and arm-twisting by House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, sets up a vote in the House of Representatives almost immediately. If the bill is defeated then, it cannot be brought back until next year. One committee member abstained from voting and another member proved pivotal to the outcome.

Rep. Richard Ross told The Associated Press he dropped his support for the bill after the owners of the Plainridge horse trotting track in his district said they would rather take a shot at the House passing a bill to install slot machines at the state's four racetracks than seek to amend Patrick's proposal to allow those machines as well as the casinos.

"I got a loud and clear message from my district ... that they really wanted me to vote for the adverse report," Ross said. "Really, until the eleventh hour, 59th minute, I was on the phone."

Patrick's bill proposed licensing three casinos spread across Massachusetts. It called for a licensing fee of at least $200 million each, and he projected it would generate $400 million in annual revenues and thousands of permanent jobs.

The committee vote followed a marathon public hearing Tuesday, where members of the committee heard from opponents and supporters, including Patrick, who all but conceded the bill was heading for likely defeat.

Patrick blamed the expected defeat in part on pressure from House leaders, including DiMasi.

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