Newspapers across Pennsylvania were reporting that table games were near for the state’s racinos and casinos -- possibly up for legislative vote later this week -- but governor Ed Rendell has said that it will happen only over his dead political body.
The majority leader of the state senate, republican Dominic Pileggi, says an acceptable compromise has been reached and it is time for a vote. “We are 73 days past the time when we should have been making this agreement, but we are finally here.”
Rendell, however, saw things differently. He promised to veto the measure if it does pass, saying, “it doesn’t add up and it doesn’t work. I couldn’t sign that in a responsible way because we would be back here next year just banging our heads, doing the same thing.”
Rendell has said the budget compromise was built on “phony” revenue projections that would create a billion-dollar shortfall next year. That assessment drew an angry response from the senate minority leader, democrat Robert J. Mellow, who said, “let him do it. If the governor wants to draw a line in the sand instead of working with us, fine. But we have pretty strong support, if I were the governor, I wouldn’t want to isolate myself.”
A house-senate conference committee was to vote on the budget compromise today, and could send the issue to the floor of both houses for an up or down vote later this week.
Pennsylvania is the only state without a full budget plan in effect.
(With files from Harness Tracks of America)