Senate Puts Limit On Track Casino Bill
Apr 28,
2004
The state Senate is expected to vote Thursday on a
more limited version of legislation to allow video
lottery terminals at Michigan’s seven horse
tracks. The vote would be the first major movement
on the legislation since it passed the House
nearly a year ago.
The Senate version would not allow off-track,
Internet or telephone betting connected with horse
tracks. It would require stricter regulatory
oversight, similar to that required of Detroit’s
three casinos.
Horse tracks would be allowed to keep a smaller
percentage of their revenue from the new types of
gambling than under the House version of the bill.
More money would go to the state, including some
money for the state’s general fund. Exact
projections for how much revenue the Senate
version would generate weren’t available Tuesday.
The Senate on Tuesday used a special legislative
maneuver to discharge the main bill of a four-bill
package from its Gaming and Casino Oversight
Committee, which never held a hearing on the bills
since getting it from the House last May.
Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema said Senate
leaders moved to put the measure to a vote after
receiving repeated requests of House Speaker Rick
Johnson, R-LeRoy, who supports the legislation.
“I’m personally opposed to it, but I think it
deserves a vote up or down,” said Sikkema,
R-Wyoming.
State Rep. Larry Julian, a Republican from Lennon
who introduced the bill, said he’s happy the
Senate will act. But he said the Senate version
sets aside a far smaller portion of revenue than
the House version for agricultural interests,
including horse owners and agricultural research.
|