Boston Area News

BOSTON (AP) ― Gov. Deval Patrick spent months, and then a couple more weeks, before he announced his decision to support casino gambling in Massachusetts. Such measured consideration, rather than any quick decisions, will likely mark the upcoming debate, according to the Beacon Hill lawmakers and players who will be involved in the process.

While Patrick supports licensing and building three casinos in metropolitan Boston, southeastern Massachusetts and western Massachusetts, his office hasn't finished drafting the necessary legislation. That then faces internal scrutiny and public hearings in both the House and Senate, followed by a debate on the floor of each chamber.

If the measure passes -- and recent test votes have gone against expanded gambling in Massachusetts -- the Patrick administration would have to conduct the bidding process and decide the winners. They, in turn, would have to build their gaming halls.

That is more likely to take years, not months, dashing the dreams of those who envision mini-Las Vegases sprouting up soon.

"I'd like to debate it tomorrow and kill the damn thing, but we have a process," said Rep. Daniel Bosley, D-North Adams, co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. The panel has spearheaded past reviews of expanded gambling, an idea Bosley vehemently opposes.

Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, D-Northampton, who has been tapped to head the Senate's review of the measure, is equally measured in talking about the timetable.

"This is a very, very big decision, and it's not likely to happen overnight," he said. "But there is a lot of pent up interest in having a reasonable process that concludes in a reasonable amount of time."

The Patrick administration can submit its legislation at any time. The outside marker for the Legislature's response is next July 31, when the House and Senate traditionally end their formal sessions during election years.

Once the bill is drafted, it's submitted to the House and Senate clerks, who must agree on the committees that review it. In the past, that has been Bosley's panel in the House and the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee in the Senate, headed by Sen. Michael W. Morrissey, D-Quincy.

Staff members would review the legislation and its economic assumptions, and interested parties would be invited for public hearings that have the potential to become public spectacles.

Patrick has said the casinos could bring $450 million annually to the state for property tax relief, road and bridge repair and investment in the host communities. But opponents fear increased crime, a spike in divorce and other social factors, as well as a crippling strain on local infrastructure once the casinos open.

Following the hearings, the bill would likely advance to the Ways and Means committees in both the House and Senate, panels charged with reviewing measures that impact state finances.

Then it would be up for debate in the House and Senate, where the bill would likely face entirely different receptions.

House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, D-Boston, has bluntly opposed the idea, even as he has pledged an unbiased review. Bosley is a member of DiMasi's leadership team, and House custom is that chairmen don't often take public positions if they differ greatly from the presiding officer's.

"I think it is fair to say that we have spent a lot of time and effort to all sides of the gambling issue and I think it's fair to say that we've gotten some pretty good votes out against gambling, and I also think it's fair to say that we haven't seen anything in this proposal that suggests we should change our mind," Bosley said.

Senate President Therese Murray, D-Plymouth, supports casino gambling in the state. While Rosenberg has personally opposed expanded gambling in recent votes, he stressed he would be fair as the new proposal is reviewed.

"This is a new question, but we've long since crossed over into supporting state-sanctioned gaming -- and we are hooked on it," Rosenberg said. "The Lottery provides about $920 million annually to our communities."

A final layer of review is also expected by a variety of third parties, including Attorney General Martha Coakley, the state's chief law enforcement officer.

The administration has asked her to review aspects of the legislation covering regulation and enforcement, and Coakley is eager to help craft a responsible bill that maximizes tax revenues and ensures there's no fraud.

The attorney general says she is neutral on casinos.

"I don't want them; I don't not want them," she said.

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