Cullerton Moves to Repeal Video Gambling Law

By Chuck Sudo in News on Mar 16, 2011 9:00PM

Yesterday, State Senate President John Cullerton floated a proposal to increase the cigarette tax by $1 per pack. Today, in a move that was shocking to everyone but Capitol Fax's Rich Miller, Cullerton moved to repeal the state's troubled video gambling law.

If both houses in the General Assembly and Gov. Quinn approve of the repeal, it would mark a complete reversal of Springfield legislators' positions on video gambling two years ago. Back then, the law was a vital component of Gov. Quinn's $31 billion capital improvement program, which has been appealed to the state Supreme Court. The video gambling law was expected to pump as much as $534 million towards the construction program. But Chicago refused to permit video gambling inside city limits and 80 other municipalities followed suit.

Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said, “It’s obviously a very controversial plan. It has yet to generate a single dollar for the capital program. Right now, the Senate president is gauging whether there is sufficient support to repeal it.” But Cullerton wouldn't be making this move if he didn't feel he had the votes in Springfield to repeal this, would he?

As Miller points out on Capitol Fax, this is essentially a tax swap.