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

DATE: FRIDAY, April 22, 1994                   TAG: 9404220196
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

RIVERBOAT GAMBLING SEEN AS CURE-ALL FOR BUDGET

``It just seems to me that into this chaos comes riverboat,'' said Del. Jerrauld Jones, D-Norfolk,

Riverboat - as in floating casinos - went nowhere during the General Assembly session that ended last month.

Jones said Thursday that he hopes the impasse over refunds to federal pensioners will prompt legislators to reconsider riverboat gambling, which proponents claim could generate $85 million a year in state tax revenue.

Jones said he will push riverboat gambling when the legislature reconvenes May 11 to consider the pension issue.

``My sense is that the assembly is in a bipartisan quandary on how to resolve the pension issue,'' he said. ``There's no reason to stand on the sidelines when we have this voluntary resource of revenue.''

Bad idea, responded Ken Stroupe, a spokesman for Gov. George Allen, a Republican.

Stroupe said it would be too risky to base a pension settlement on floating casinos, because voters could reject a statewide referendum on gambling. It also could take several years to get riverboat gambling up and running, causing further delays in refunds to pensioners.

``Therefore Del. Jones' proposal is not a practical solution at all,'' Stroupe said,

But Jones will not give up. He snatched riverboat gambling from the grave at least three times during the recent General Assembly session and almost got it passed. If it doesn't catch on next month, Jones will be back in September, when legislators meet to discuss parole reform. They're going to need a way to pay for new prisons.

Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1994