A proposal to expand legalized gambling to southern Indiana in an effort to muster new legislative support for casinos in Gary is being seriously considered by gambling proponents.
”It`s a legitimate issue for discussion,” said Gary Mayor Thomas Barnes, who has begun strategy sessions on the gambling issue with key state legislators, community leaders and representatives of the gaming industry. Barnes has long advocated casinos as a way to prop up the city`s sagging economy.
Among the legislative backers is Sen. Earline Rogers (D-Gary), who said the proposal would ”only help us to get votes.”
A plan being considered would permit riverboat gambling on the Ohio River, possibly near Louisville, and one gambling casino in the resort town of French Lick.
In the last two sessions of the Indiana legislature, a bill that would have allowed five casinos for Gary failed to gain the necessary support for passage. At the time, there were 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats in the House. Elections for all 100 seats will be held in November.
”We fell short by just four to six votes the last two years,” Rogers said. ”And there are people in that area (southern Indiana) who are interested (in the plan) and who can help us. Some of them surfaced during the last legislative session.”
Rogers also said that the expanded gambling measure would not be in competition with the proposed Gary casinos.
”Our market would come from the Chicago area,” she said.
William Schreiber, an aide to House Democratic Speaker Michael Philips of Boonville, called the idea a ”sensible way to recast the issue.” He also called it a good strategy to broaden the bill geographically to gain support. But Roger Schmelzer, assistant to House Republican Speaker Paul Mannweiler of Indianpolis, said he believes a more complicated gaming bill is even less likely to pass.
”It might be good strategy to get votes from southern Indiana, but you`d be going from no gambling to casino gambling around the state,” said Schmelzer, who added that voters are too conservative to support statewide gambling. ”After all, this is still Indiana.”
Schmelzer said Gov. Evan Bayh`s opposition to casino gambling for Gary also would hinder passage. Bayh has said he perfers more traditional ways to revive the city`s economy.
Moreover, a group of Gary`s ministers has opposed gambling halls on moral grounds, and other critics have raised fears of increased crime and predicted that any new wealth or jobs would go to outsiders.
But Barnes said casino supporters would be ready this time to answer any legislators` objections to casino gambling. He said he plans to seek more input from businessmen and religious leaders.
