ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 28, 1997 TAG: 9701280079
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: ROBERT LITTLE STAFF WRITER
THE PROPOSAL to ban casinos and other forms of gambling gets its first test in the state Senate today.
Virginia's flirtation with casino gambling is over, riverboat casinos having been abandoned as a lost cause.
Now, some state lawmakers are trying to douse temptation's fires for good.
The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee will debate a proposed constitutional amendment today that would prohibit slot machines, keno and other casino-style gambling in the state.
Its passage is not certainty - amendments to the constitution never are.
But even its consideration, two years after gambling supporters thought Virginia might authorize floating casinos, is a diametric shift in the legislature's outlook toward gambling.
"I don't see the enthusiasm anywhere - even where it used to be," said Sen. Stanley Walker, D-Norfolk, who sponsored legislation two years ago to create riverboat casinos. "I think there's been a change of thinking around Virginia, somewhat. It seems to me the attitude of most people is that they don't want Virginia to be associated with a lot of different forms of gambling."
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Mark Earley, R-Chesapeake, would prohibit the General Assembly from passing any law authorizing casino-style gambling. Forms of gambling approved already such as the lottery and horse racing would not be affected.
To change the constitution, the measure would have to pass the General Assembly two years in a row, then be approved in a statewide referendum.
It faces some obstacles; many lawmakers' reluctance to pass any constitutional budget restriction, for instance.
There are some questions about whether the Lottery Department needs legislative approval for keno or slot machines anyway. (Keno is similar to a regular lottery numbers game but with drawings every five minutes, which critics say effectively turns the lottery into a casino-style game.)
Earley says his measure is to block any new forms of casino-style gambling, including anything the Lottery Board might try to create. And if the amendment removes gambling as a money-making option in a recession? That's exactly what he hopes it would do.
"I, like a lot of people, am concerned about the proliferation of casino gambling around the country," said Earley. "Maybe it's been quiet for the last year or two, but the large casinos and casino operators are still looking to expand into new markets. We have the advantage at this point in time of some of the fervor dying down. It's a good opportunity to do something."
Constitutional amendments typically fare better when they correct rather than prevent something. but gambling opponents hope they have politics on their side this year, and an issue difficult for image-minded lawmakers to reject.
"It's an election year," said anti-gambling lobbyist Bill Kincaid. "This is a no-sin session."
To leave a message for state legislators, call (800) 889-0229 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays or write c/o General Assembly Building, Richmond, Va. 23219. To track the status of bills, go on-line at www.roanoke.com and click on ``The Richmond Archive.''
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1997by CNB