Looking to shore up election support among conservatives for his GOP majority, House Speaker Lee Daniels is considering plans for an advisory referendum question asking voters if gambling should be expanded.
But even talk of such a proposal from Daniels (R-Elmhurst) in the waning days of the General Assembly’s spring session has added to tensions between House and Senate Republicans. They are looking to reach agreement on a new state budget and adjourn the session Wednesday.
Daniels’ spokesman Mike Cys said Monday the speaker is “looking at some options” regarding the gambling referendum proposal, including giving counties, cities and villages the option of putting the issue on local ballots.
“Why should we let somebody in Carbondale determine whether Chicago ought to have riverboats?” Cys said.
Senate Republicans have been adamant, however, that any legislation involving gambling–from creating new riverboat licenses to imposing a higher tax on successful boats–await the findings of a legislative task force that is due to issue a report after the Nov. 5 election.
Even if the Senate refused to consider the referendum plan, Daniels could still call it for a House vote, allowing his vulnerable Republicans to say that they support letting the people be heard on the controversial issue.
An advisory referendum question on gambling has long been the goal of anti-gaming activists. Last week, the Northern Illinois Anti-gambling Task Force and Illinois Churches in Action said they would begin asking incumbent lawmakers and their challengers to sign a pledge that they will refrain from expanding gambling until voters can have a say.
Daniels, Senate President James “Pate” Philip (R-Wood Dale) and Gov. Jim Edgar, meanwhile, made slight progress in talks on putting together a $33.6 billion spending plan for the state budget year that begins July 1.
GOP legislative leaders said the Republican chief executive agreed Monday on spending $270 million in new money for grade and high schools next year, $50 million more than his original budget proposal in March.
While Philip and Edgar appear to support that figure, Daniels has not agreed. Also unresolved is a formula for distributing the new money.
In the Senate, lawmakers set aside fears of voter backlash and voted to send Edgar a bill to reimpose a gasoline fee to pay for the cleanup of leaking underground fuel tanks around the state. Opponents of the measure contended the fee was a hidden gasoline tax being passed along to consumers.
The passage of the tank cleanup fee comes on the heels of a decision by Cook County Circuit Judge Aaron Jaffe, who struck down a law passed last fall to impose the fee. Jaffe objected that the law was tied together with several unrelated measures.
Calling gangs “public enemy No. 1,” Atty. Gen. Jim Ryan and GOP lawmakers also said they will push for passage of a new anti-gang initiative before the legislature adjourns.
The measure would set up a witness protection pilot program, in which the state police would help local police protect those who testify against gang members, and impose harsher criminal drug penalties.
