Massachusetts
Workers Push for Slot Bill
As reported by the Boston
Globe: "Hundreds of employees from the
state's four racetracks packed a State House
hearing yesterday to urge the passage of a bill
that would allow slot machine gambling at those
struggling facilities, but top lawmakers on
both sides of the issue said steep opposition
in the House of Representatives and the governor's
office make the chances for such a bill to become
law extremely slim.
"Doreen Carolan of Revere, a
Wonderland Greyhound Park valet, and her niece
Katie DeBenedetto showed up to the hearing dressed
in one-armed bandit costumes to show support,
but Carolan said the issue was hardly a laughing
matter.
"…In the next two weeks the state
Senate is expected to debate a bill on allowing
slot machine gambling at the racetracks, said
Michael W. Morrissey, a Quincy Democrat who
chaired yesterday's hearing. Backers say the
slot measure would not only pump $550 million
in new revenues into the state in its first
full year, but would save the tracks from financial
ruin.
"But opponents question promises of vast
new revenues, and internal polling suggests
that neither the House nor the Senate has established
enough support to overcome a veto. Those familiar
with the polling yesterday said 23, and perhaps
24, of the 39 senators would vote in favor of
the bill, but it would take 27 votes to overcome
a veto by Governor Mitt Romney in the Senate.
"…Hoping to impress upon lawmakers
that all four tracks are facing massive job
cuts or bankruptcy, the tracks' labor unions
and owners rounded up an armada of workers to
show up yesterday…"
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