It was passed in the full Indiana Senate by a vote of 27-21. 

When speaking on the bill, the bill’s co-sponsor, Senator Tim Lanane (D-Anderson) called HB 1835 the “Opportunity Bill”, rather than referring to it as a slots bill.  He noted the bill gives the state the ability to improve and advance racing in Indiana .  In addition, he stated it encourages economic development and growth. 

Further, Lanane said he believes the current version of the bill is an improvement from the bill as it left the House.  He thanked his fellow Senators for their help in crafting the current version.  While addressing the Senate, Lanane mentioned a hand-out recently distributed to the legislators which alleged that 1.5-5% of the people in an area with gambling end up developing addictions.  Lanane was able to optimistically look at these numbers saying 95-98.5% of the population is not potentially affected.  In closing, he called it the “Triple Crown of Opportunity.”

Another Senator commenting on the bill was from near Michigan City , where a riverboat casino (Blue Chip Casino & Hotel) is currently located.  His presentation included accentuating the positive changes he has seen as a result of the coming of the riverboats to his area.  As a former sheriff, he shared some of his experiences with those committing crimes.  He emphasized that none of the crimes he had dealt with in his area were the result of the gambling available in his area.  Finally, he stated the crime rate in his area had actually decreased for the past few years.

During the time the floor was available for comment, a few Senators used the opportunity to speak against the bill.  Despite presentations from Senators voicing concerns about the bill, including those portraying the bill as an expansion of gambling and an open invitation for crime, the bill did pass.

Since there were changes to the bill in the Senate, it now goes back to the Indiana House of Representatives for consideration.  If approved, it goes on to Governor Mitch Daniels where it could become law.  On the other hand, failure to gain approval in the House will send the bill to a Conference Committee to work out the differences.

Based on the Legislative Calendar for the 2007 General Assembly, both chambers have a scheduled last day for adjournment of Sunday, April 29.

For more information about the bill, visit Hoosier Hoofprints’ Legislative Information section:
http://www.hoosierhoofprints.com/LegislativeInformation/LegislativeInformation.htm
(This section offers features to help locate contact information for legislators.)

News articles covering slots in Indiana are also posted on the Hoosier Hitch-N-Post forum.
http://hitchnpost.noonhost.com
Be sure to check that resource as well!

For more information about racing in Indiana , visit the Web site: www.hoosierhoofprints.com.