Legislature easily passes gambling expansion

Storms praised as ‘hero’

May 8, 2009
JAMES A. SMITH SR.
Executive Editor

Click on image for related coverage

TALLAHASSEE (FBW) – The Florida Legislature today easily passed legislation that pro-family leaders decry as a “predatory” expansion of gambling in the Sunshine State.

The measure – passed 31-9 in the Senate and 82-35 in the House of Representatives combining together into one bill what was previously two bills – authorizes Gov. Charlie Crist to negotiate a compact with the Seminole Indian Tribe, giving them exclusive rights to blackjack, bacarrat and chemin de fir games at its casinos in Broward and Hillsborough counties, and Las Vegas-style slot machines at all of its seven casinos.

The legislation provides various enhancements to the pari-mutuel industry in the state to “level the playing field” with the Tribe for horse tracks, dog tracks, quarter horse tracks and Jai alai frontons across the state.

(For more on the legislation, see May 7 story, “Legislative leaders agree to expand gambling.”)

“It is a tragic day when only 44 out of 160 legislators are willing to stand in the gap to protect Floridians from predatory gambling,” Bill Bunkley, legislative consultant of the Florida Baptist Convention, told Florida Baptist Witness, reflecting on the combined total of House and Senate members who voted against the bill.

Crist – who lobbied heavily for the compact in the wake of the Florida Supreme Court’s 2008 decision that invalidated his agreement with the Seminoles – hailed passage of the legislation in a statement issued shortly after the vote.

“I applaud the Florida House and Senate for coming together on an agreement that will help bring billions of dollars to Florida schools during the next 15 years. Their hard work will improve the quality of life of students, teachers, and all Floridians for generations to come,” Crist said.

“I now look forward to working closely with the Seminole Tribe to help secure the continued success of Florida’s students and teachers, and complete the work accomplished by the Florida Legislature today. Florida’s future is brighter and stronger as a result of today’s agreement.”

During consideration of the measure in both bodies, few legislators offered criticism. A notable exception was Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Valrico).

The only legislator in either the House or Senate to speak forcefully against the bill, Storms called it “a huge mistake,” telling the Senate “we will live to regret this mistake” of approving a bill allowing “yea, even encouraging” citizens to gamble “so that we may subsidize our budget.”

The legislation directs money from the Seminole compact will be placed in the state Education Trust Fund.

Storms, a longtime member of First Baptist Church in Brandon, also talked about the negative consequences of “predatory gambling,” pointing to the case of a man who committed suicide May 2 at the Tampa Hard Rock casino – a Seminole facility.

Giving voice to “millions of Floridians” who are concerned about gambling expansion and who deserve to be heard in the Legislature “without ridicule and without abuse,” Storms said the legislation will encourage people to gambling even to their own harm as Floridians are given easier access to wagering options.

Storms also decried “big gambling” for the industry’s pursuit of even persons who have recognized their gambling addiction and “put themselves on the no gambling list.”

Although the industry was recently fined $800,000 for pursuing such gambling addicts, Storms said the industry continues to go after those persons because they “gamble to extinction.”

Bunkley had high praise for Storms’ lonely stand against the bill.

“As the only person to rise up and speak against this legislation, I salute Ronda Storms as a hero in the fight against predatory gambling, valiantly representing Floridians who are still opposed to gambling,” Bunkley told the Witness.

“Today’s final votes in both the House and the Senate clearly indicate there is work to be done to educate the members of the Florida Legislature about the harmful effects of predatory gambling,” he added.

Having passed the legislation authorizing the governor to negotiate the compact with the Seminoles, Crist now has until Aug. 31 to come to an agreement with the Tribe within the confines of the legislation. The finalized compact will then have to be ratified by the Legislature.

Bunkley said he is now shifting his focus to how the Seminoles will respond to the legislation, speculating they may decide the measure does not “give them the level of exclusivity they had anticipated.”

Whatever the outcome, Bunkley added, “We will continue to advocate from anti-expansion position throughout the negotiations.”

Email this Article Print this page