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By CHRISTOPHER WILLS
Associated Press Writer | Saturday, March 27, 2004 | (No comments posted.)
SPRINGFIELD -- Whether they're for it or against it, key Illinois House members see legislation to replace the current state Gaming Board as a strategic move in the broader debate about expanding gambling in Illinois.
"This is a whole chess match," said Rep. Mark Beaubien, a Barrington Hills Republican who serves on the House Gaming Committee.
Just this week, Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose own position on gambling is murky, launched an investigation of the Gaming Board's decision to allow the state's 10th casino to be built in a the Chicago suburb of Rosemont. The following day, Attorney General Lisa Madigan demanded board members explain their actions, saying Rosemont has had clear ties to organized crime.
The state Senate also weighed in, approving the legislation to dissolve the Gaming Board and replace it with a new regulatory board at the urging of Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago.
Jones said the Gaming Board violated its duty to promote economic development by awarding the casino license to a company that wants to operate in prosperous Rosemont rather than competitors that had proposed building in more economically depressed cities. His bill would allow the governor to appoint new members.
The Senate's action could increase the pressure for board members to reverse their decision.
It also could fuel efforts by some lawmakers to create more casino licenses -- the current state-set limit is 10 -- to allow gambling and the jobs and tax revenue that would come with it in depressed areas near Chicago, such as Waukegan to the north or Blue Island to the south.
The impact depends on a lot of other factors, especially whether the legislation makes it through the House.
House Speaker Michael Madigan, who essentially controls what legislation is brought to a vote, will only say through his spokesman that he is reviewing the idea.
State Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, chairs the House Gaming Committee and supports creating new licenses, letting existing casinos expand and legalizing video poker and slot machines at racetracks. He said it is far too early to assess how his own efforts will be affected by Jones targeting the Gaming Board.
The attorney general, meanwhile, is threatening to block the transfer of the state's only unused casino license from its current owner to the Isle of Capri Casinos, the company chosen by the Gaming Board. Both Isle of Capri and bankrupt Emerald Casino, which is selling the license, planned to build in Rosemont. Lisa Madigan demanded that the board explain why it rejected the recommendation of its own staff that the casino should be built elsewhere.
The board members said in a statement Friday they won't issue a response to her demand for information. Instead, they invited her to a private meeting where she can ask questions.
Madigan spokeswoman Melissa Merz said the attorney general "is not interested in a closed door meeting. There's already been too many of those."
Meanwhile, Mississippi-based Isle of Capri Casinos accused Madigan of complaining about the outcome of a bidding process that she had approved. If Madigan considered Rosemont a fundamentally unsuitable site, she should have said so in advance, the company said.
The Gaming Board itself must still perform a suitability review of Isle of Capri and its Rosemont plan.
Even if the board's decision stands and increases the momentum for creating new licenses, Blagojevich remains a question mark.
Last year, he indicated interest in gambling expansion but then dramatically declared his opposition and chastised lawmakers for going too far. He has said since then that he is willing to listen to reasonable proposals.
Jones insists his proposal to replace the board is not a bargaining chip in an effort to expand gambling.
Other lawmakers said demanding the board's ouster may help bring gambling to poor, largely minority suburbs that need a boost.
"Reach for the stars," said state Rep. Constance Howard, D-Chicago, "and we may get something along the way."
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