Casino Bill Breezes Through State Senate [VIDEO]

The bill that would legalize casino gambling in New Hampshire breezed through the state Senate on Thursday with little opposition voiced on the floor.

Senators voted 16-8 in Concord to approve the legislation, which now moves on to the House. The vote came before a packed gallery.

Senate Bill 152 calls for up to 150 table games and no more than 5,000 video lottery/slot machines at one casino location in the state.

Bill co-sponsor Sen. Chuck Morse (R-Salem) called the bill an "opportunity we cannot afford to miss." He urged his fellow legislators to listen to what the bill will do for New Hampshire, which he said will include $130 million of sustainable income for the state.

"We can do this in a way that works for New Hampshire, that fits New Hampshire, our state, our customs and our lifestyle," he said. "We just have to seize the opportunity and now is the time to seize that opportunity."

Rising in opposition to the bill, as she did during the Senate Ways and Means Committee hearing, was Sen. Martha Fuller Clark (D-Portsmouth).

"I believe it is wrong for the state economically and wrong for our citizens economically," she said. "That is true now and for the future.

Speaking for the North Country, Sen. Jeff Woodburn (D-Dalton) said his neighbors have had to make some tough choices.

"We know how to make tough choices, and we know a good deal when we see it," he said.

Others rising in favor of the bill were its primary sponsor, Sen. Lou D'Allesandro (D-Manchester) and Sens. Molly Kelly (D-Keene), Sylvia Larsen (D-Concord) and David Watters (D-Dover).

Also issuing a statement on the bill's passage was Gov. Maggie Hassan:

“To seize the promise of the innovation economy and create the kind of jobs that can support a strong middle class, we must restore investments in our critical priorities. The license revenue from one high-end, highly regulated casino will allow us to start rebuilding in the areas of higher education, economic development, public safety and mental health. It will help us restore funds to communities, protect our natural resources, and take steps to strengthen our economy.

“The Senate has sent a strong, bipartisan message today about how we can come together to fund our priorities, a message that echoes what I have heard from people and communities throughout New Hampshire. I thank Senators D’Allesandro and Morse for their hard work and stewardship of this legislation.

“Without this revenue and without beginning to restore the devastating cuts of the last budget, we will risk falling behind economically, we will risk losing out on good jobs and innovative businesses, and we will risk letting the people of our state be denied access to the basic services needed to support their health and safety.

“I look forward to working with members of the House of Representatives to address concerns as the process moves forward, and I expect a robust debate. But if we do nothing, we will lose $75 million per year as Massachusetts moves forward, and we will experience social costs without being able to invest in our priorities. We must work together and lead the way to a stronger, more innovative economic future for the Granite State.”

Jim Rubens, chairman of the Granite State Coalition Against Expanded Gambling, also issued a statement:

The fight is and always has been in the House, where we see opposition firming over the past few weeks in both parties and for different reasons. For Republicans wanting responsible state budgets built on real revenues, casino license money promises are falling flat. Democrats wanting sustainable revenues to support higher education, mental healthcare, and highways know that serious debate over options will not begin until SB152 is defeated on the House floor.

The roll call for SB 152:

Those voting 'yea' were Sens. Jeff Woodburn (D-Dalton), David Watters (D-Dover), Sam Cataldo (R-Farmington), Andrew Hosmer (D-Laconia), Molly Kelly (D-Keene), Peter Bragdon (R-Milford), Peggy Gilmour (D-Hollis), Bette Lasky (D-Nashua), Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry), Sylvia Larsen (D-Concord), David Boutin (R-Hooksett), Daonna Soucy (D-Manchester), Jim Rausch (R-Derry), Lou D'Allesandro (D-Manchester), Chuck Morse (R-Salem) and Nancy Stiles (R-Hampton).

Those voting 'nay' were Sens. Jeanie Forester (R-Meredith), Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro), David Pierce (D-Etna), Bob Odell (R-Lempster), Andy Sanborn (R-Bedford), John Reagan (R-Deerfield), Martha Fuller Clark (D-Portsmouth) and Russell Prescott (R-Kingston).