Saturday, March 31, 2007

Senate President Pro Tem David Long said Wednesday that he plans to expand
his proposal to crack down on illegal gambling, suggesting that the state
should add a special prosecutor just to handle those cases. Long, R-Fort
Wayne, said too many county prosecutors view illegal gambling --
particularly by bars, clubs and other retailers using video machines with
names such as Cherry Master -- as not worth pursuing. A state prosecutor
based at the Indiana Gaming Commission could solve that problem, he said.
"The number of these machines in the state has exploded," Long said. "I
think we need to do something about it. We need to draw a line in the sand."
The Senate Rules Committee, which Long chairs, already is considering his
proposal to provide nearly $2 million to fund 25 excise police officers
dedicated to investigating illegal gambling and increase the criminal
penalties for people charged a second time with promoting professional
gambling.
It also would authorize the state to revoke lottery contracts, retail
merchant permits and state licenses for the sale of tobacco and alcohol for
any companies or organizations found with illegal gambling machines. The
proposal will be considered as an amendment to House Bill 1510, which makes
changes to the state's charity gambling legislation, when the Rules
Committee reconvenes Monday. Long, one of two senators pushing the plan,
said that he has enough votes in the committee and perhaps the Senate to
approve the proposal. In the House, however, support is unclear. House
Speaker Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, said he is uncomfortable creating a state
prosecutor and prefers to leave illegal gambling investigations to local law
enforcement. But he said that Gov. Mitch Daniels has made the problem a
state issue by sending excise police officers who regulate alcohol
establishments in search of video gambling machines. "We may have to take a
look at some of these ideas," Bauer said. Long said he's still working on
details, but the state prosecutor would take cases from excise officers and
other law enforcement from across the state. The cases likely would be filed
in Marion County. Sen. Vi Simpson, who serves on the Senate Rules Committee,
said that she's unsure how to vote on Long's overall proposal. She supports
legalizing and regulating video gambling machines for bars and fraternal
clubs but said if lawmakers don't do that, the state should enforce the law
it has. "I plan to spend my weekend at VFWs and American Legion posts to see
how they feel about this," Simpson said. "Cherry Masters in certain areas of
the state support the charitable causes of these service clubs. I want to
make sure the bill does enough to help them so they can continue those
activities."