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Quinn Rejects Gambling Expansion Legislation

By Chuck Sudo in News on Aug 28, 2012 4:20PM

Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed legislation that would have dramatically expanded gambling in Illinois this morning. It’s the second time in as many years Quinn has vetoed the legislation and comes one day before the bill would have become law had he not acted on it.

Quinn said the bill, which would have allowed for slot machines at Illinois airports and racetracks and the construction of five new casinos, including one in Chicago, lacked sufficient regulatory oversight and that integrity was paramount, with his immediate predecessors George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich currently in prison. Notably, Quinn said in a statement:

(T)he absence of strict ethical standards and comprehensive regulatory oversight. Illinois should never settle for a gaming bill that includes loopholes for mobsters.”

Illinois Gaming Board chairman Aaron Jaffe has repeatedly called the legislation "a pile of garbage" while Quinn has been wary that expanding gaming in the Land of Lincoln could turn it into "the Las Vegas of the Midwest." Proponents of expanding gambling in Illinois have long championed the bill as a jobs creator and as a cure-all for most of the ailments facing the state. They say the bill could bring 100,000 jobs to Illinois, generate $1 billion in revenue and boost tourism. Yet the state’s newest casino, Des Plaines’ Rivers Casino, has been doing booming business at the expense of surrounding casinos like Grand Victoria in Elgin and the Harrah’s and Hollywood casinos in Joliet.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been calling for a Chicago casino ever since he was sworn into office and gambling expansion has been a rare point of contention between him and Quinn. Emanuel said the revenue generated from a Chicago casino could be used to rebuild the city's crumbling infrastructure. Quinn has called the calls for expanding gambling in Illinois a "distraction" from larger issues like pension reform.

Emanuel's office released a statement shortly after Quinn's veto announcement. (Insert expletives at convenient points in the statement to add some punch.)

“A Chicago casino would create thousands of crucial jobs for Chicagoans and provide resources that would be used to rehabilitate neighborhood schools. Chicago loses $20 million a month and countless jobs to casinos in Indiana. Those jobs should be here in Chicago, supporting the families of our tradespeople and helping the entire city’s economic future. It is the responsibility of the Governor and all leaders in Illinois to stop this outflow of dollars and jobs. I spoke with the Governor this morning and we agreed, it cannot take another 20 years of discussion to draft and pass a bill that will be signed into law. I will continue to work relentlessly with all parties to pass a bill that will allow a Chicago casino to be built and implemented responsibly.”

Last week House Speaker Michael Madigan said the Illinois Legislature lacked the necessary votes to override a veto.