Slot Machine Bill Likely To Pass, Say Republicans

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(STATEHOUSE) - Senate Republicans now say a bill allowing slot machines at Indiana’s two horse-racing tracks is likely to pass, with a sweeping property-tax cut the carrot that could close the deal.

When slot machines passed the GOP Senate, more Republicans voted no than yes, and Noblesville Republican Luke Kenley warned it might not survive a second try. Now Kenley says the bill is part of a daisy chain connecting the budget, a crackdown on illegal slots, and property-tax relief, with 800-million dollars in licensing fees wiping that much in property taxes off the books.

Kenley and other leaders agree there could still be tax relief if the slots bill fails, but probably not long-term help and definitely not on the same scale. The tax reform the slots money pays for is written into the senate budget. And President Pro Tem David Long (R-Fort Wayne) says many Republicans will only vote for slots if it's accompanied by a proposal to step up enforcement of laws against thousands of video poker and "cherry master" machines. That way, he says, senators can point to a net reduction in gambling in Indiana, not an expansion.

House Speaker Patrick Bauer supports slots, but says the Senate's too mesmerized by the money. He says the goal should be to prop up the racetracks, and says Kenley's quadrupled fee is too high to accomplish that.

Bauer also questions the proposed special prosecutor to pursue illegal gambling statewide. He says that should be the job of county prosecutors. Senate Republicans say many local prosecutors feel too much political heat over the popular machines, and would rather focus on more serious--and less controversial--crimes.

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