On Wednesday, November 9, a scaled-back expanded gaming bill, Senate Bill 1849, introduced by Representative Lou Lang, failed to pass the Illinois House
.
According to a report by the State Journal Register, the bill needed 71 votes to become law over a potential veto by Governor Pat Quinn. After months of silence, Gov. Quinn stated publicly just a few weeks ago that he was opposed to a massive gaming expansion in the state. In turn, he proposed a scaled-back approach for a state gaming expansion.
The State Journal Register article explains that Rep. Lang's scaled-back version of his bill received 58 of a possible 118 votes in the Illinois House last week.
“The horse industry in Illinois is on the verge of moving out of Illinois,” Rep. Raymond Poe was quoted as saying in the report. “This is a jobs bill that will save thousands and thousands of jobs.”
(With files from the State Journal Register)
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