Ocean Downs
It will be interesting to see if the slots committee keeps the governor’s proposed slots parlor at Ocean Downs. Delegate JB Jennings, who sits on the committee, thinks Ocean Downs remaining in the final bill presented to the full House is problematic.
Even if the Ocean Downs site doesn’t make it out of the House committee, its still there in the Senate version, and could survive the conference committee.
William Rickman, owner of Ocean Downs, must be a little nervous about his $56,000 investment, which is why O’Malley urged the House members to include Ocean Downs in their slots bill.
Montgomery County Delegate Luiz Simmons is leading the anti-slots effort in the house. I did not think much of Delegate Simmons because of his staunch opposition to Jessica’s Law last year and prior efforts to pass it, but his votes against the tax increases and his opposition to slots have me cheering for him. Go Luiz Go!
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Ironically, the votes would be there to pass a slots bill strait up. If it
wasn’t a referendum, and auctioned off sites, the 71 votes could be gotten if
Busch didn’t stand in the way. But getting to 85 means that you don’t have
Republican support, a solid block of 30 votes.
Mike Miller is holding up Senate sessions waiting for the House to pass a slots bill. Slots have always been Miller’s baby and he wants them to be part of his legacy. Who knows, maybe he wants his name on another building. If the House can’t pass a slots bill, then the “Neutered Bull” can stop all of this in its tracks.
