Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 2, 1994                   TAG: 9403020103
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

RIVERBOAT BILL SINKS IN THE HOUSE

Del. Jerrauld Jones, D-Norfolk, who sponsored the gaming initiative, said he fell one vote short of support needed to get the House of Delegates to reconsider floating casinos.

"I'm just as disappointed as I could be," said Jones, who had hoped that floating casinos would help stabilize the Hampton Roads economy beset by defense cutbacks and shrinking shipbuilding jobs. "Our failure to act today will directly translate into thousands of jobs being lost."

One economist estimated that floating casinos would create 23,687 jobs in Virginia and generate annual state revenues of $123 million. But critics said the figures were wildly inflated.

"That's one thing that hurt them - they used such out-of-whack numbers," said Bill Kincaid, a lobbyist opposed to floating casinos.

The riverboat casino bill, which would have required statewide and local referendums before floating casinos could operate in Virginia, was defeated 55-42 in the House last month.

Supporters spent the last week trying to scratch together 50 votes needed to revive the measure by offering to lavish riverboat revenue on the districts of reluctant lawmakers. But Jones said the effort came up one vote short Tuesday, the final day for action on bills involving state revenue.

Jones said the chances of success next year are slight because all 140 legislators will be up for re-election. "It's dead," he said. "It's dead, it's dead."

Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1994