Illinois Governor Vetoes Casino Expansion Bill
In a move that was not unexpected, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn vetoed a gambling expansion bill earlier this week. The sponsor of the legislation, State Senator Terry Link, a Democrat representing the city of Waukegan, says that a new bill is on the way.
Senator Link will also be a sponsor of the new legislation, which he claims is “coming pretty rapidly.” He went on to add that “the governor may even like it.”
Much like the bill that Governor Quinn just vetoed, the new legislation would pave the way for five new casino properties in the Land of Lincoln as well as for the installation of slots machines at racetracks located in the state.
If approved, one of the casinos would be located within the city of Chicago, something for which the city’s first-term mayor, Rahm Emanuel, has pushed very hard. Proponents of the casino plan have pointed to the Thompson Center as a possible location. The Thompson Center is a state-owned office building located above a busy transit hub near the downtown theatre district, currently plagued by problems with its heating and air conditioning systems, amongst other structural woes.
Backers of the plan to put a casino and hotel resort in the Thompson Center have cited its need for renovations, something the state can ill-afford to do, as just one motivating factor for transforming the building into an entertainment venue.
Senator Link has not yet determined whether he will seek a vote on his new bill when he puts it forward in committee this week, but hopes that Governor Quinn will take up the issue of casino expansion in Illinois when he addresses the state budget this week. Changes to the bill from the one shot down by Governor Quinn this week include stipulating that the casino companies will be disallowed from making political campaign contributions in addition to calling for tighter regulations.
The bill that Quinn vetoed on Monday was passed by the Illinois General Assembly back in May of 2011. John Cullerton, State Senate President, used parliamentary maneuvering to prevent the bill from hitting Governor Quinn’s desk in the hopes of reaching agreement with the Governor, something that never happened. Because a new legislative session has begun since the time the legislation was passed, there can be no legislative override of Governor Quinn’s veto.
Governor Quinn, a Democrat, previously served as Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. He took office after the state’s previous governor, Rod Blagojevich, was accused of trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by President Obama when he was elected in 2008. Blagojevich is currently serving out a fourteen year sentence in a federal prison.
Historically, Governor Quinn has been opposed to expanded gambling in Illinois, however in recent months his stance on the issue has appeared to soften somewhat. As the state faces the same types of fiscal challenges governments are dealing with across the nation, expanding casinos in Illinois is seen as a relatively easy way to capture a new source of revenue.
Rumors were swirling late last year that he and Mayor Emanuel were nearing consensus on the issue of the Chicago casino, though Governor Quinn has said on several occasions that he will not move on the issue of gambling until the state has dealt with its massive pension crisis, a topic he has said he expects lawmakers to be riveted to, as well.
The opening of a casino in Chicago would serve as a crushing blow to Indiana, a state already fearing the worst as neighboring states nab more and more of the gambling dollars it desperately needs. As we reported, the opening of a new casino in Cincinnati has Indiana officials deeply worried about how to shore up revenue loss.
