Massachusetts Workers Push for Slot Bill

As reported by the Boston Globe: "Hundreds of employees from the state's four racetracks packed a State House hearing yesterday to urge the passage of a bill that would allow slot machine gambling at those struggling facilities, but top lawmakers on both sides of the issue said steep opposition in the House of Representatives and the governor's office make the chances for such a bill to become law extremely slim.

"Doreen Carolan of Revere, a Wonderland Greyhound Park valet, and her niece Katie DeBenedetto showed up to the hearing dressed in one-armed bandit costumes to show support, but Carolan said the issue was hardly a laughing matter.

"…In the next two weeks the state Senate is expected to debate a bill on allowing slot machine gambling at the racetracks, said Michael W. Morrissey, a Quincy Democrat who chaired yesterday's hearing. Backers say the slot measure would not only pump $550 million in new revenues into the state in its first full year, but would save the tracks from financial ruin.

"But opponents question promises of vast new revenues, and internal polling suggests that neither the House nor the Senate has established enough support to overcome a veto. Those familiar with the polling yesterday said 23, and perhaps 24, of the 39 senators would vote in favor of the bill, but it would take 27 votes to overcome a veto by Governor Mitt Romney in the Senate.

"…Hoping to impress upon lawmakers that all four tracks are facing massive job cuts or bankruptcy, the tracks' labor unions and owners rounded up an armada of workers to show up yesterday…"