BOSTON – State senators on Tuesday again cut short a debate on a casinos bill after an opponent said he was leery that legislative leaders were seeking to undermine a smoking ban approved for casinos.
The delay marked the fifth time the Senate has tabled or canceled debate on a bill to create three casino resorts, including one for Western Massachusetts. Senators failed to make much progress before adjourning Tuesday’s session and agreeing to start again on Wednesday.
Sen. James B. Eldridge, D-Acton, used Senate rules to force an early close to the session. Eldridge said he sought the delay because he wants to use the time to close a possible loophole in a plan to prohibit smoking at the casinos.
“We want to make it absolutely clear we need a full, clear smoking ban in this bill,” Eldridge told reporters. “We have not reached agreement.”
Sen. Stephen J. Buoniconti, D-West Springfield, said he was frustrated by the repeated delays won by small minorities of senators.
“I hope that we change the rules,” Buoniconti said. “As much as I respect their ability to exercise their Democratic rights, these are just all tactics to delay the vote as much as they can. We have a lot of other issues on our plate, along with casino legislation, and this is tying that up.”
The Senate Republican leader won two delays last week and on Monday, another Democratic senator successfully tabled the session. In a rare Saturday session scheduled by the Senate president, senators quit early when they failed to achieve a quorum.
Eldridge said he is wary of the fate of the smoking ban when House and Senate negotiators approve a final compromise casino bill. That final bill would be developed behind closed doors by a six-member, House-Senate panel and then brought back to both chambers for an up or down vote with no amendments.
The Senate smoking ban, approved 24-15 last week, is slightly different from a similar ban approved in the state House of Representatives in its casino bill. The House bill simply calls for casinos to comply with a 2004 law that bans smoking at indoor work places. The 2004 law allows exemptions, meaning House and Senate negotiators could exempt casinos, Eldridge said.
Eldridge said he is asking Senate leaders to approve an amendment to assure the smoking ban carries the same language in both bills to take away any leeway on the issue during talks on a compromise bill. Eldridge said he wants to protect workers and customers from second-hand smoke and he wants no smoking exemptions for casinos.
The original Senate bill allowed smoking in 25 percent of gaming space. Supporters said smoking is needed to compete with casinos in Connecticut and racinos in Rhode Island and prevent potential losses of revenues.
The Senate bill contains some sharp differences from the House bill. The state House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill in April that calls for two casino resorts and 750 slot machines in each of the state’s two horse tracks and two former dog tracks.
The Senate bill also calls for casinos in each of three geographic zones including one defined as the four counties of Western Massachusetts. The Mohegan Sun is planning to build $500 million to $600 million casino resort in Palmer across from Exit 8 of the Massachusetts Turnpike.
The House bill calls for a state commission to decide the locations of casinos. Both bills call for taking bids from casino operators.
Before adjourning, senators voted 38-0 to approve an amendment by Sen. Susan C. Fargo, D-Lincoln, that would direct about $3 million of casino revenues to help elderly people with their property taxes. The money would be provided as grants to municipalities with programs to provide breaks on property taxes to people generally 65 and older.
The chamber’s five Republican senators had been pushing for a measure that would set aside more gambling net revenues for property tax relief for all owners of real estate. Democrats used rules to trump a vote on that amendment.
Senate Democrats also defeated a Republican attempt to eliminate the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax on beer, wine and alcohol. Instead of repealing that tax, the Senate on a voice vote approved an amendment to order the state Department of Revenue to study trends in alcohol sales in cities and towns within 10 miles of the border of another state.
The Senate also voted 37-0 to expand the use of gambling revenues set aside for mitigating social ills that could be caused by casinos. The amendment added substance abuse services and gaming related research as issues that could receive revenues.
Source: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/massachusetts_casinos_bill_sta.html