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By KRISTEN McQUEARY
Published: June 9, 2011
For months, as a gambling bill moved through the state legislature, swarms of lobbyists alternately charmed lawmakers and twisted arms.
Now, they are working on Gov. Pat Quinn, who controls the fate of the bill.
Cities including Rockford and Danville are organizing letter-writing campaigns and hosting rallies to pressure Mr. Quinn to sign the legislation. Chambers of commerce, restaurant owners and even farmers who supply horse hay are imploring him to keep the bill intact.
The legislation would authorize five new casinos, including one for Chicago, and slot machines at Chicago airports and at horse racing tracks. The bill would allow for a new racing facility at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and permit the state’s existing 10 casinos to expand.
It is a 400-page anthology of political horse trades that supporters, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, said could unravel with any swipe of Mr. Quinn’s veto pen. The governor has called the bill “excessive.”
That worries stakeholders in Illinois horse racing, who are counting on the bill to save their industry. “If you eliminate any parts of that bill, you would lose support and the whole thing could go down in flames,” said Tony Somone, executive director of the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association, “Quite frankly, it scares the hell out of me.”
If Mr. Quinn amends the bill, the legislature would have to approve his changes. But removing any of the proposed casino sites, in Chicago, Rockford, Danville, the south suburbs or Park City, or scaling back the slot machine allowances, would result in the loss of much-needed votes. The bill barely made it out of the Senate and received only four extra votes in the House.
“I’m the only one who can call the bill, and I’m the only one who moves the bill,” said Senator Terry Link, Democrat of Waukegan, whose district includes Park City. “Do you really think I would allow the bill to move forward without mine being in it?”
Multiply Mr. Link’s stance by 95 — the number of lawmakers who voted for the bill because there was something in it for their districts — and you can see how fragile it is.
Mr. Link said he planned to meet with Mr. Quinn to discuss follow-up legislation to address the governor’s concerns. The goal would be to persuade him to sign the bill on the condition that a follow-up measure would reduce its scope. “Like any other negotiation, I’m not going to play it out in the media, but we will sit down and talk about it,” he said.
Some opponents of the bill said it was too ambitious.
“I would consider supporting a casino in Chicago, but I don’t see the need for a 50 percent increase in casinos statewide,” Senator Susan Garrett, Democrat of Lake Forest, said.
The decision before Mr. Quinn is a tough one. Cities like Rockford represent some of the state’s hardest-hit economies. That’s why Rockford’s mayor, Lawrence J. Morrissey, traveled to Springfield last month to meet with power brokers.
“As mayor,” Mr. Morrissey said, “one of the things I’ve learned since I was elected in 2005 is that if you want to get anything done in Springfield, you have to be there. Economic development doesn’t happen with magic.”
Kristen McQueary covers state politics for The Chicago News Cooperative and Chicago Public Media. [email protected]
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/us...sino.html?_r=1
Published: June 9, 2011
For months, as a gambling bill moved through the state legislature, swarms of lobbyists alternately charmed lawmakers and twisted arms.
Now, they are working on Gov. Pat Quinn, who controls the fate of the bill.
Cities including Rockford and Danville are organizing letter-writing campaigns and hosting rallies to pressure Mr. Quinn to sign the legislation. Chambers of commerce, restaurant owners and even farmers who supply horse hay are imploring him to keep the bill intact.
The legislation would authorize five new casinos, including one for Chicago, and slot machines at Chicago airports and at horse racing tracks. The bill would allow for a new racing facility at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and permit the state’s existing 10 casinos to expand.
It is a 400-page anthology of political horse trades that supporters, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, said could unravel with any swipe of Mr. Quinn’s veto pen. The governor has called the bill “excessive.”
That worries stakeholders in Illinois horse racing, who are counting on the bill to save their industry. “If you eliminate any parts of that bill, you would lose support and the whole thing could go down in flames,” said Tony Somone, executive director of the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association, “Quite frankly, it scares the hell out of me.”
If Mr. Quinn amends the bill, the legislature would have to approve his changes. But removing any of the proposed casino sites, in Chicago, Rockford, Danville, the south suburbs or Park City, or scaling back the slot machine allowances, would result in the loss of much-needed votes. The bill barely made it out of the Senate and received only four extra votes in the House.
“I’m the only one who can call the bill, and I’m the only one who moves the bill,” said Senator Terry Link, Democrat of Waukegan, whose district includes Park City. “Do you really think I would allow the bill to move forward without mine being in it?”
Multiply Mr. Link’s stance by 95 — the number of lawmakers who voted for the bill because there was something in it for their districts — and you can see how fragile it is.
Mr. Link said he planned to meet with Mr. Quinn to discuss follow-up legislation to address the governor’s concerns. The goal would be to persuade him to sign the bill on the condition that a follow-up measure would reduce its scope. “Like any other negotiation, I’m not going to play it out in the media, but we will sit down and talk about it,” he said.
Some opponents of the bill said it was too ambitious.
“I would consider supporting a casino in Chicago, but I don’t see the need for a 50 percent increase in casinos statewide,” Senator Susan Garrett, Democrat of Lake Forest, said.
The decision before Mr. Quinn is a tough one. Cities like Rockford represent some of the state’s hardest-hit economies. That’s why Rockford’s mayor, Lawrence J. Morrissey, traveled to Springfield last month to meet with power brokers.
“As mayor,” Mr. Morrissey said, “one of the things I’ve learned since I was elected in 2005 is that if you want to get anything done in Springfield, you have to be there. Economic development doesn’t happen with magic.”
Kristen McQueary covers state politics for The Chicago News Cooperative and Chicago Public Media. [email protected]
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/us...sino.html?_r=1