The fate of slot machine gambling legislation could rest on a cliffhanger committee vote likely to come today, a decision that would bring the bill to the floor of the Maryland House of Delegates for the first time in three legislative sessions -- or doom it to failure again, House Speaker Michael E. Busch said yesterday.
Busch (D-Anne Arundel) said he still is not certain whether there are enough votes in the House Ways and Means Committee to pass a measure that has been one of Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s top priorities since taking office.
"I don't think it's any guarantee" that it gets out of committee, Busch said.
The House version of the bill is dramatically different than one that passed last week in the Senate. It would allow 9,500 video lottery terminals at four locations -- in Anne Arundel, Dorchester, Frederick and Harford counties -- and would steer most proceeds to school construction and other local infrastructure needs. The Senate bill allows for 15,500 slot machines at seven sites that would be chosen by a commission appointed by the governor, the Senate president and the House speaker.
One new impediment for passage of the bill that has emerged this week is the fate of wording providing for minority participation in a slots enterprise. An attorney general's advisory opinion rejected the idea of establishing a strict requirement that minority interests have a stake in any slots license, as many black lawmakers would like.
Del. Clarence Davis (D-Baltimore), a longtime slots supporter, said failure to resolve that question could cost his support. "If we can't do something about that, this bill is basically dead," he said.
House Republicans say the slots bill passed by the Senate last week is greatly preferable to the one that emerged from a House subcommittee yesterday. Del. Jean B. Cryor (Montgomery), a member of the subcommittee, called the House bill "disappointing" but said she would urge other Republicans to support it in hopes of getting the legislation to a House-Senate conference committee, where a better bill might emerge.
"I'm going to vote on hope," Cryor said.
The counties identified in the House bill reflect strong opposition to expanded gambling from Democratic delegates in Prince George's County and Baltimore, where racetracks would be prime locations for slots parlors under the Senate bill.
Only one of the counties included in the House bill has a racetrack -- Laurel Park in Anne Arundel. The bill would allow 3,000 machines in Anne Arundel, 1,500 in Dorchester County, 2,500 in Frederick County and 2,500 in Harford County. Republicans have a substantial presence among registered voters in all four counties.
The House bill would steer nearly 36 percent of gross proceeds to a fund to supplement construction for public schools and community colleges. Unlike the Senate bill's provisions, no money would be earmarked for other educational priorities in the landmark Thornton initiative passed by the legislature.
An additional 18 percent of proceeds would be earmarked for local development grants to all Maryland counties and the city of Baltimore, with counties that host slot parlors qualifying for some additional money.
The grants would be awarded under a formula tied to state lottery sales from the previous year -- which gambling opponents said creates a perverse incentive for counties to maximize lottery sales.
"You're giving money to people based on how much money they lose on the lottery," said Minor Carter, a lobbyist for Stop Slots Maryland. "It's a foolish way to fund services."
Busch reiterated yesterday that his personal preference is to see slots go down in defeat.
"I gave it my best effort for two years to convince members that this was not in the best interests of the state of Maryland," Busch said, adding that he is "elected by the membership" and that the House members will have their say.
"Whatever we're going to do, we're going to do it this week," Busch said.
Staff writer David Snyder contributed to this report.
