|
Piccola Criticizes Governor for Failing to Support Changes to
Gaming Law
Calls Veto a Disservice to Law Enforcement
Community
HARRISBURG -- Senate
Majority Whip Jeff Piccola (R-15) today expressed his disappointment in Governor
Rendell’s veto of Senate Bill 1209, a recently passed reform measure that would
close many glaring loopholes in the state’s new gaming law and called it a
disservice to police and district attorneys who are charged with overseeing
Pennsylvania’s new industry.
“Unfortunately the Governor’s
veto will force Pennsylvania to continue to live with the problems and
weaknesses of the gaming law,” Piccola said.
Although an opponent to the
gaming law, Piccola worked closely with Senate Republican members and the
Commonwealth’s law enforcement community including Attorney General Jerry
Pappert throughout the fall to identify the most serious legal deficiencies in
the statute.
“Pennsylvania’s police and
prosecutors have spoken with one voice as to their greatest concern. It is
the infiltration of organized crime into the operation of slots facilities as
well as the communities which house them,” Piccola said. “That is why the creation
of a Division of Gaming Enforcement within the Office of the Attorney General is
of vital importance if we are going to effectively combat organized crime in
the industry,” he added. “The District Attorneys need the support and
resources of the statewide office of the Attorney General to handle the new
challenge that gaming presents to Pennsylvania prosecutors,” said Piccola.
“As Pennsylvania will be second
only to Nevada in the amount of licensed gaming facilities in the state, our law
enforcement community will be faced with a great challenge, and they need the
support of the Attorney General,” he said.
Other critical reform measures
that would have enhanced public scrutiny of the Gaming Commission were also
vetoed by Rendell. Each of the “public integrity” measures which Piccola
advocated were lost. As the law is written, the Gaming Commission, which
has the power to issue gaming licenses to race tracks and slots parlors, can
meet in secret. Additionally, it is exempt from a number of key statutes
designed to ensure scrutiny and integrity of all Commonwealth agencies.
“The Governor’s veto will
continue to keep the Gaming Commission under a cloud of suspicion. It is
inconceivable that the Governor would stop the application of the Sunshine Law,
the Right-to-Know Law, and regulatory and contract review by the Office of the
Attorney General to the operations of the Gaming Commission,” Piccola said.
# # #
|
