Governor Crist Threatens Vetoes If Gambling Issue Not Solved

Legislators played hard ball with Governor Charlie Crist after he signed a gambling compact with the Seminole Indians back in 2007. They brought the matter to the state Supreme Court, who, in turn, voided the compact. They claimed the governor did not have the authority to negotiate the compact.

Now, it appears to be payback time for the governor. On Sunday, Crist threatened lawmakers that if they did not complete a deal with the Seminole Indians regarding casino gambling, he would use his veto power for some of the projects legislators have put in the current budget.

"If it doesn't happen, I may have to cut things out of this budget that are put in there," said Crist "The members are acutely cognizant of that. There are important things they want to be able to do and I want them to do. In some ways the Seminole compact money gives us the opportunity to do that."

Legislators and Governor Crist have been working the entire legislative session on trying to nail down a gambling deal in the state. The House, Senate, and the governor have vastly different idea on how expanded gambling should be handled.

The House believes the Seminoles should be stripped of blackjack, and that pari-mutuels in the state should receive expanded gambling options. Late last week they softened their stance on the blackjack issue.

The Senate's plan called for full scale casino gambling at Seminole casinos in Florida. They have had to also soften that stance and now are pushing only for the blackjack.

Governor Crist had a deal in place with the Seminoles that neither the House nor the Senate approved of. The plan would have had the Seminoles giving the state a large sum of money up front, but limited funds in the out years of the deal.

May 3, 2009
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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