Illinois: Gambling expansion being debated
SPRINGFIELD — A new year for lawmakers brought a familiar, yet complicated, debate Tuesday over new Illinois casinos — which some still hope could raise money to build roads, bridges and schools across the state.
A House committee heard testimony on a wide-ranging gambling expansion plan that would mean construction of new Illinois casinos and the possibility of more slot machines at existing ones, among other things.
Lawmakers didn’t vote, however.
After the hearing, House Speaker Michael Madigan expressed disappointment that the owners of the state’s
existing casinos weren’t backing the development of new ones.
Illinois Casino and Gaming Association Director Tom Swoik told lawmakers casino officials disliked the expansion proposal because taxes on new slot machines would cost too much, more locations would dilute the Illinois market and the riverboats wouldn’t be granted an exception to the state’s indoor smoking ban.
“It’s very sad to hear the casinos express their opposition today to the bill, because in all of our discussions, we thought the additional positions at the casinos would be helpful to the casinos,” Madigan said.
Last year, despite months of wrangling, lawmakers couldn’t solve the complicated problem of coming to a compromise on gambling expansion in order to build roads and schools.
The construction plan has been tied to the financial problems of the Chicago-area mass transit systems. Some lawmakers have said they can’t support one unless the other is solved.
Madigan said lawmakers would eventually have to tell the casinos, and others, they won’t get everything they want.
“Nowadays in the Capitol building, that’s a tall order, asking members of the legislature to do difficult things,” he said.
Rep. Pat Verschoore, D-Milan, said despite the difficulties of last year, he thinks gambling will eventually be approved to pay for a construction program.
“That’s the only place I feel that they’ve got room to get money for a capital bill,” he said.
Rep. Roger Eddy, R-Hutsonville, said he might be able to support gambling, but probably not as it was presented Tuesday. He said he doesn’t believe the state’s only option to pay for construction projects is more gambling.
“There’s something that doesn’t seem right,” he said.
Rep. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, said he felt uncomfortable voting for a gambling plan if the legislation hasn’t yet spelled out where the money will go.
Lawmakers are set to meet in full today, but Madigan said a vote on gambling doesn’t appear imminent.
Mike Riopell can be contacted at
(217) 789-0865 or mike.riopell@lee.net. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.