Legislative Update: Special Gaming Session

The Maryland General Assembly recently concluded its special legislative session on the subject of expanded gaming in the state. Along with the rest of your 6th district legislative team, I voted for the bill. My support for the bill was largely based on the bottom line: thousands of more job opportunities and hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue without taxes.

If fully implemented, the changes are expected to create nearly 5,000 new jobs, many related to the construction of a new facility in Prince George’s County in addition to those tied to the implementation of table games at all of the gaming facilities in the state.

Likewise, the state’s Education Trust Fund is projected to benefit from $174 million in new revenue once the gaming program is fully implemented in fiscal year 2017, ramping up to $200 million annually by fiscal year 2019. Considering that Maryland continues to stare down a structural deficit of nearly $500 million, every dollar earned from a sixth gaming site and the addition of table games helps to avoid drastic cuts and harmful tax increases.

In addition to the fiscal benefits of the law, I worked very closely with House leaders to insert provisions that will strongly benefit our local business owners as well as our hometown service organizations. Due to our efforts, tavern and restaurant owners that offer lottery programs will gradually have their commissions restored from 5 percent to 6 percent, beginning in January 2013.

Additionally, veteran organizations throughout the entire state will finally be allowed through state law the opportunity to offer up to five “bingo” terminals. These machines are very similar to the slot machines that Eastern Shore service organizations have had in their establishments for decades, and I am pleased that our local American Legions, VFWs, and other veteran organizations will
finally have meaningful support for their needs and causes, with proceeds also supporting the Maryland Veterans Trust Fund.

Perhaps the biggest concern about the gaming changes was the desire to avoid giving too much in the form of rate reductions to current casino operators. Fortunately, the legislation is structured in such a way that market share offsets are linked to the outcome of a statewide referendum on the issue of a sixth site and table games – and even if rate adjustments happen, state revenues from a new site increase by tens of millions of dollars over and above the cost of any possible adjustment.

Indeed, many of the changes in the legislation are subject to voter approval, giving residents the opportunity to weigh in and have the final say on this issue during the November election. Had the General Assembly not passed legislation, the earliest that citizens could have considered any form of expanded gaming would have been during the next (2014) General Election. Given the possibility to generate revenue and to help avoid new taxes, and the possibility of creating new jobs in the state, I felt confident in supporting the legislation, sending the issue to voters at the ballot.

If you would like more detailed information about the legislation, you can access the fiscal note prepared by the Department of Legislative Services. Those details can be found here:

http://mlis.state.md.us/2012S2/misc/summary-and-fiiscal-impact-sb0001.pdf

Pit Bull Legislation Fails

I am extremely disappointed that the assembly did not pass legislation to correct the recent pit bull ruling. Maryland’s highest court declared pit bulls “inherently dangerous,” holding dog owners and third-party property owners strictly liable for a pit bull’s behavior on the property. Maryland is now the only state in the country to hold owners and landlords of just one breed strictly liable for injuries caused by their pets.

The House crafted a bill that promoted public safety and protected third parties from liability for another’s dog and treated all dog breeds equally. All the while, it would have held dog owners responsible for a dog’s misbehavior under certain circumstances.

Unfortunately, the Senate passed a bill that was somewhat different than the bill
proposed by the House, and Committee leadership refused to work out their differences—effectively killing the legislation. It is sad and unfortunate that this happened, and I look forward to working to making this a top priority during the upcoming session in January.

Questions, Comments, Feedback

If you have any questions, comments, or feedback regarding this most recently completed special session—or on any topic facing the General Assembly and our communities, please do not hesitate to contact my office. It is our honor to serve you.