Slot Machines May Dominate Legislature’s Time

The General Assembly seems to be starting off the new year the same way the old one ended – by discussing slot machines. In Indianapolis, one of the first things discussed was slot machines and gambling. Some thought there might be a chance that slot machines might take a back seat to some other issues this year, but that just doesn’t seem to be the case.

House Speaker Pat Bauer started it off with talks about legalizing slot machines at the racetracks, and said that the issue would get a committee hearing. He didn’t say that a slot machine legalization bill would pass, just that it would get play time. He said it was important for the state to decide once and for all whether or not they would legalize the slot machines at the tracks, or if they were willing to let the horse racing industry just go away.

Senate President Pro Tem David Long wants a crackdown on the illegal slot machines that are found in bars across the state. He says he doesn’t care if slot machines are legalized or not, but that the illegal ones need to go. Long was upset because a crackdown on illegal slot machines in his area of the state didn’t eliminate them, it just moved them from bars to truck stops.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Bob Meeks would also like to see slot machines legalized, and now that Bob Garton is gone – who was against the legalization of slot machines – there might be a chance that a bill might pass. There are plenty who do not want to see the slot machines legalized, but there are also plenty who do – and some of the key players in the anti slot machine camp did not get re-elected this past November, so it seems that it is anything goes this year.

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