Bill for Referendum on Slots Still Waits to Clear Md. House

The first in a series of legislative twists and turns came late in the morning, when a key House panel voted 13 to 7 for a slots referendum bill identical to the one passed by the Senate last week.

With the action, the House reversed course from the day before, when a subcommittee voted to replace the Worcester location with one in Frederick County. The Frederick site was added to cater to Montgomery residents who travel to West Virginia to gamble.

House leaders ran into trouble rounding up enough votes for that version of the bill, however. Passage of the referendum bill requires 85 votes, or three-fifths of the chamber's members.

"I was getting great pressure from my constituents," said Del. Galen R. Clagett (D-Frederick), who otherwise supports a referendum. "It was going to be very difficult for me to support the bill if it included Frederick."

By passing a bill identical to the Senate version, House leaders also hoped to bring the issue to a quick resolution. Any changes would require the two chambers to negotiate the differences.

That strategy ran into trouble later in the day, however, when some delegates balked at a Senate bill provision that would allow "additional forms or expansion of commercial gaming" without seeking voter approval again, provided the bills pass with three-fifths votes in both chambers.

The Ways and Means Committee hastily convened yesterday afternoon to change that provision to secure 85 votes on the floor. But doing that created a difference that must be reconciled with the Senate.

House leaders also have been hampered in their efforts to secure 85 votes by the refusal of most Republicans to support a referendum. Although many have supported slots in the past, they are withholding their votes to leverage more spending cuts.

Busch last night called on Republicans, particularly those who represent rural areas, to support a referendum, because as much as $100 million in slots proceeds would subsidize the horse-racing industry.

The second slots bill, which spells out program details, requires a simply majority of 71 votes for passage. But securing those votes could be more difficult for House leaders. Some anti-slots delegates, who have agreed to vote for the referendum as a way to resolve the issue, do not plan to vote for the second bill.

Hours before the House convened yesterday afternoon, O'Malley and Busch met privately with Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) and Montgomery delegates said to be on the fence about slots.

O'Malley pleaded with the delegates to vote in favor of a referendum, and the delegates said they would like the governor's office to invest more money in school construction in the county.