Slots Bill Squeaks Through House

Del. Clarence Davis and Minority Whip Anthony J. O'Donnell hug after winning enough votes for the measure in the House. At right is Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sheila E. Hixson, who helped craft the bill. (Marvin Joseph -- The Washington Post)

"You're not disappointed when you win," said Ehrlich, whose proposal formed the basis for the Senate version. "This is a zero-sum game."

The day's dramatic floor vote came after impassioned speeches from a succession of gambling opponents, who called the plan to legalize slot machines an insidious way to raise state revenue.

Del. Emmett C. Burns Jr. (D-Baltimore County), a minister, called the proposal "a live snake," which he predicted "will wiggle into our homes, our hearts, our heads and our bank accounts."

One of those who spoke, Del. Curtis S. Anderson (D-Baltimore), said he and other opponents were trying to make the vote "as painful as possible" for supporters, several of whom were backing it reluctantly.

The governor's aides lobbied aggressively to bring on board Republican delegates, including several who had opposed slots. In the end, 35 of the 43 Republicans supported the measure, while 36 of 98 Democrats backed it.

After the votes were cast, Del. Sheila E. Hixson (D-Montgomery) said she was relieved. Hixson played a central role in crafting the House bill, which tried to satisfy an array of conflicting interests. For instance, the measure eliminated the prospect that slots would come to Prince George's County or Baltimore, two jurisdictions where lawmakers were overwhelmingly opposed to the machines.

The Senate bill would leave the selection of seven venues to a commission appointed by the governor.

Both versions would devote the bulk of the earnings to schools and school construction projects, with other proceeds going to slots vendors, horse-racing purses and horse track renovations.

Hixson said she agreed with Busch's position that the majority pieced together to support the House bill would collapse if the measure is changed. But Republicans said such a firm stance would demean the legislative process.

If Busch is merely trying to kill the bill, said House Minority Whip Anthony J. O'Donnell (Calvert), "that would be a terrible tragedy, and a terrible hoax on the people of Maryland."

Donald F. Norris, a professor of public policy at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, said that though the outcome of the debate remains uncertain, it is, in many respects, back in familiar territory for lawmakers.

"For the third year in a row," Norris said, "they're turning the session into a game of slots chicken."

Yesterday, neither side was ready to blink.

Staff writer David Snyder contributed to this report.