Media Alert: On the Air with Jeff Katz

Tomorrow morning I will be talking with Jeff Katz of the Jeff Katz Show on Talk 1200AM Boston to provide an update from Beacon Hill. Possible topics include human trafficking, parole and sentencing reform, expanded gaming, congressional redistricting and pension reform. Please tune in or click here tomorrow morning at approximately 8:05AM to listen to our lively discussion.

Legislative Agenda

With the legislature concluding formal sessions on Wednesday, November 16 until January, there are some important legislative proposals that the Senate and House needs to take action on. Some bills that we will be taking up today and tomorrow include pension reform, expanded gaming in the Commonwealth, a human trafficking bill, the redistricting of Congressional districts and a habitual offenders sentencing bill.

To read the text of the bills please click the posted links below:
Pension Reform
Expanded Gaming
Human Trafficking
Redistricting
Habitual Offender Sentencing

Yesterday’s Media Appearances

Yesterday I had the opportunity to be a guest political analyst on Fox 25’s morning news segment “Tolman and Gray”. Boston City Councilor Michael Ross and I discussed the GOP presidential primary race and the Hard Rock Café International Group’s interest in operating a casino in western Massachusetts.

Later in the day I also made a guest appearance on NECN’s “Broadside” where I discussed with Representative Straus and host Jim Braude the status of the expanded gaming legislation.

Please play the posted videos below to watch yesterday’s appearances.

Tolman and Gray: MyFoxBOSTON.com

Media Alert: “Nightside” with Dan Rea

Please tune in to tonight’s “Nightside” with Dan Rea on WBZ NewsRadio 1030AM to listen to Dan and I discuss the expanded gaming bill, which passed 24-14 during yesterday’s Senate debate. To listen to our lively discussion please tune in at approximately 8:00pm or click "here" to listen online.

Discussing Casinos on 'Broadside'

Last night I was a guest on last night's episode of "Broadside" on New England Cable News, where I discussed the Senate casino bill with host Jim Braude. To watch the interview in its entirety, just click the picture posted below.

Amendment Boosts School Funding

On Tuesday October 11th I joined with Senator Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) and several co-sponsors to amend the gaming bill (S.2015) to direct new gaming revenues toward addressing inequities in local educational funding, and ensuring that all school districts receive a minimum of 17.5% of the amount the state requires them to spend from the state.

We have been working for years to correct inequities in the Chapter 70 education funding formula, and this amendment offers one of our best chances yet to provide financial relief to communities that haven’t been treated fairly.

The amendment directs spending from a new education account created in the gaming bill. That account is slated to receive 14% of the revenues generated by gaming operations. Language already in the bill prohibited those funds from being used to supplant expenditures made through Chapter 70, the state’s primary program for funding local schools. The amendment directs that these new funds will first be used to cause every community to receive its “target aid” share, a minimum of 17.5% of a district’s foundation budget, and to remediate inequities between districts.

Even though problems with the current formula have been long recognized, it takes new funding to correct them while holding all districts harmless. Now new funding is on the table and we are taking advantage of a rare opportunity to do the right thing for our school districts.

Before we spend gaming revenue on new items, we need to make sure we respond to existing needs, problems and commitments. The passage of the amendment won’t solve all of our problems, but it moves us toward significant reforms.

A final vote took place on S.2015 yesterday by a vote of 24-14. The bill will likely proceed to a House/Senate conference committee for reconciliation with the House version of the bill.

Media Alert: "Broadside" With Jim Braude

Please tune in to “Broadside” tonight at 6:00pm on New England Cable News (NECN), where I’ll be discussing with host Jim Braude today’s Senate debate on expanded gaming, which passed today by a vote of 24-14. “Broadside” re-airs at 8:00pm and again at 3:30am.

Expanded Gaming Debate

On Monday, September 26th the Senate began debating Senate Bill 2015, “An Act Establishing Expanded Gaming in the Commonwealth”. Thus far debate has been completed on 82 of the 182 amendments that have been filed regarding the bill. 28 of those were approved.

Some important amendments that passed include one that would provide a “cooling off period” of one year before a legislator who leaves office could acquire a position at a casino or an applicant for a casino license, another that would provide surrounding communities an avenue to express support or opposition of a casino site location, and one that would eliminate the ability for a council on aging to use state funds or property to support trips to and from an out-of-state casino. Amendments which I have filed that are awaiting floor action include provisions to use some proceeds from expanded gaming to reduce the sales and income taxes, and to reform education aid for our local school districts.

Debate for expanded gaming is expected to continue next week. To read the actual language of the bill and the status of the amendments please click here. A summary of the bill is posted below.

SWM 2011.09.16 Gaming as Redrafted

Monday Morning’s Conversation with Jeff Katz

On Monday morning I had the opportunity to discuss with Jeff Katz of the Jeff Katz Show on Rush Talk 1200AM Boston the upcoming expanded gaming debate in the Massachusetts Senate. To listen to our lively discussion please click here, and to read the actual text of the bill please click here.

Media Alert: On the Air with Jeff Katz

On Monday morning I will be speaking with Jeff Katz of the Jeff Katz Show on Rush Talk 1200AM Boston to discuss the upcoming expanded gaming debate in the Massachusetts Senate. Today the Senate Committee on Ways and Means released the Senate’s version of the bill which can be read by clicking here. Please tune in or click here Monday morning at 7:35 AM to listen to our lively discussion.

Expanded Gaming Transparency Order Passed in Senate

The Massachusetts State Senate passed a Senate Republican order prohibiting the Senate from considering or acting on any bill that would authorize any form of gaming not currently permitted in the Commonwealth, including casinos or slot machines, until 10 calendar days after the filing of the report of the bill by the Senate Ways and Means Committee with the Senate Clerk.

To read the text of the order please click “Read more” below.



ORDERED, that the senate shall not consider or act upon any bill authorizing any form of gaming not currently permitted in the Commonwealth, including a bill which authorizes one or more casinos, the placement and operation of slot machines, so-called, or any similar activity until 10 calendar days following the filing of the report of said bill by the senate committee on ways and means with the clerk of the senate.

Adding Transparency to the Expanded Gaming Debate

With Beacon Hill leaders working to come to an agreement on an expanded gaming bill for release in the fall, the Massachusetts Senate Republican Caucus and I are trying to ensure that the process will include ample time for legislators and the public to consider the content of any bill that becomes the subject of debate.

The order – which is scheduled to be taken up by the Senate at today’s formal session – stipulates that the Senate cannot “consider or act upon any bill authorizing any form of gaming not currently permitted in the Commonwealth,” including casinos or slot machines, until 10 calendar days after the filing of the report of said bill by the Senate Ways and Means Committee with the Senate Clerk.

Expanded gaming is one of the most complicated and sensitive issues facing our state government, and one in which even minor variations can have major consequences politically and practically. Given these facts, the legislative process to consider any gaming issues demands that people have time to review any bill to be taken seriously in order to make the informed decisions the subject deserves.

Recent Appearance on NECN’s “Broadside”

On Monday I joined Rep. Marty Walsh and guest host Michael Graham on New England Cable News Network’s “Broadside”. We engaged in a lively discussion about the inability of state officials to reach closure of the gaming issue and all the legislative causalities that resulted from that failure. You can view the discussion by clicking here.

Votes to Note: Expanded Gaming

On Thursday, July 1, the Senate voted to approve a bill, S. 2530, which would authorize expanded gaming in Massachusetts in the form of three resort-style casinos. Although I believe that capturing gaming revenues now escaping across state borders is important and warranted, I did not support this legislation for a number of reasons, including:

1) The number of resort casinos it authorizes could well lead to market saturation.
2) It authorizes new forms of spending, rather than directing new gaming revenues to existing commitments such as local aid and the stabilization fund.
3) It creates a massive new bureaucracy around the regulation of gaming.

I did offer several amendments to address these issues, but most were rejected along with those offered by many members of the Senate. You can read summaries of them and view the actual vote taken on the bill (S. 2530) by clicking “Read more” below.



Clerk 117.1: Ensures that all people working either at a casino or in the construction of a casino are legally authorized to work in the United States. This amendment was adopted by a voice vote.

Clerk 123: Allows an exemption to anti-gambling laws for bona fide coin-operated amusement machines.

Clerk 125: Strikes the designation of the gaming board and commission as an independent authority, bringing them within the executive branch.

Clerk 127: Combines the duplicative gaming control board and gaming commission into one entity.

Clerk 128: Disqualifies any person convicted of a felony from being employed by the gaming control board. This amendment was adopted by a voice vote.

Clerk 131: Sends all gaming revenue to three destinations: 10% to the gaming mitigation trust fund, 45% to the stabilization fund, and 45% to local aid.

Clerk 132: Requires the governor to remove any gaming commissioner or board member if they commit malfeasance, are unable to discharge their duties, are convicted of a felony, or neglect their duties.

Clerk 134: Requires that all commissioners be residents of Massachusetts at the time of appointment. This amendment failed on a 14 to 25 roll call vote.

Clerk 135: Strikes a requirement that board members make a salary equal to the secretary of administration and finance, and allows them to receive a salary not more than the secretary.

Expanded Gaming

Media Alert: Recent Appearance on NECN’s “Broadside”

Yesterday I joined Jim Braude on New England Cable News Network’s “Broadside”. We engaged in a lively discussion about the expansion of gaming in Massachusetts, and the many issues surrounding the future of legislation now pending before a conference committee. I hope that you’ll view the discussion by clicking here.

Media Alert: "Broadside" With Jim Braude

Please tune in to “Broadside” tonight at 6:00pm on New England Cable News (NECN), where I’ll be discussing with host Jim Braude expanded gaming here in Massachusetts and what type of compromises might be necessary prior to legislation of this type becoming law. “Broadside” re-airs at 8:00pm and again at 3:30am.

Considering Gaming Options

Changing the state’s model for gaming to include casinos and/or slot machines at race tracks has been a topic of discussion for years on Beacon Hill. Now legislative actions appear to be moving toward such a change. On April 14th the House of Representatives passed a bill to authorize both new modes of gaming, and you can view that bill by clicking here.

Tomorrow the Senate Ways and Means Committee will hold a public hearing on gaming from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Gardner Auditorium. A summary of the current Senate proposal on gaming can be found by clicking “Read more” below.



June 3, 2010

SUMMARY OF SENATE GAMING BILL DRAFT

The working draft of Senate gaming legislation is based on topics addressed by members during six roundtable Senate discussions held during the month of May. The draft will be up for discussion at the Senate Ways and Means public hearing on Tuesday in Gardner Auditorium to solicit additional information and feedback, and further policy deliberation. The draft does not represent the final bill to be released from the Senate Ways and Means Committee. This document is a summary of the current Senate draft bill:

Principles of Bringing Gaming to the Commonwealth:
1) Create new jobs both in the gaming industry and in related activities of construction, entertainment, restaurants, and hotels through a competitive bid process for gaming licenses;
2) Diversify our economy and grow new industries in different regions of the Commonwealth;
3) Recoup lost revenue from Massachusetts residents who pursue gaming in other states and countries, and reinvest the funds in a manner that is sustainable and fiscally responsible for the long-term economic growth of the Commonwealth;
4) Institute strong, transparent gaming oversight to ensure fairness for consumers and accountability for all gaming facilities;
5.) Comprehensively address the negative social, community, and criminal impacts of expanded gaming in the Commonwealth; and
6.) Ensure that any future Native American site operates under the same conditions as all other facilities, including the collection of revenue by the Commonwealth.


Determining licenses:
The bill establishes three licenses for resort casinos in Massachusetts, to be distributed by region (East, Southeast and Western Massachusetts). The bill does not designate any licenses for racetracks or former racetracks, though any qualified bidder may apply for a casino license. Two of the licenses would be competitively bid, and the third would be designated for a qualified Native American tribe.
An applicant must show its financial viability through a rigorous financial disclosure process. It must also execute agreements with the prospective host community and surrounding communities that will be impacted by the development and operation of a casino.

The agreements will include the provision of a community impact fee and plans for a referendum vote in host community. The bill offers no guarantees of casinos in any region. Proposals would first be evaluated to show their fiscal soundness and benefit to the Commonwealth.

If multiple projects in a region met the Board's requirements, the license would be awarded through an auction. The bill requires the commission to consider geographic separation as a factor when determining the economic benefit of a new facility.
Native American Gaming:
The legislation would designate a license for a qualified Native American tribe. Any tribe receiving the designated license would have to enter into a contract with the Commonwealth regarding the conduct of gambling on the tribal lands. The tribe would then be subject to the same conditions as any other casino license holder, including those related to revenue.
Regulation:
Gaming would be regulated by a bifurcated agency modeled on the State of Nevada's system. A policy-making gaming commission would be the final authority on all licensing matters and serve as an adjudicatory body, while a gaming control board, with a dedicated state police unit, would be responsible for administering regulations and monitoring the industry.

The board would have broad powers to enforce laws, distribute mitigation funds, monitor the financial activities of gaming facilities and make recommendations to the commission related to licensing and development of regulations.

These entities would be assisted by specialized Advisory Committees, which would be composed of groups of experts on subjects related to gaming and contribute oversight and policy recommendations to the commission.
Revenues/Distribution of Funds
The Senate continues to conduct its independent fiscal analysis of how to maximize revenues from gaming and has not yet determined final figures relating to fees and tax rates.
The plan will likely include a minimum licensing fee and competitive auction if multiple bidders in a region are found to be qualified. Licensees would also be required to make a minimum initial investment and pay a tax on gross gaming revenue.
The Senate is actively seeking feedback on the optimal fees, taxes and investment for casinos. Our goal is to ensure a rate that maximizes the Commonwealth's revenue from gaming, while ensuring that the casinos are not taxed to the point of instability.
The Senate's spending priorities with revenues generated from gaming are:
1. Direct impacts from gaming (such as the regulatory body created to oversee gaming and law enforcement expenses);
2. Indirect impacts from gaming (such as community mitigation and addiction services);
3. Offsetting any lost Lottery revenues for cities and towns; and
4. Contributions to the stabilization fund.
Criminal and Law Enforcement:
A specialized State Police Unit, reimbursed by the board through assessments paid by the casino operators, would have exclusive jurisdiction over gaming facilities.
The Unit would have to execute a memo of understanding with the applicable local police department regarding the local police department's role in enforcement on gaming facilities. Gaming-related crimes would be prosecuted by a division of gaming enforcement within the Attorney General's Office.
The bill creates new crimes of unlicensed gaming, money laundering, enterprise crime, swindling casinos and related offenses (such as unlicensed devices, age restrictions, unlawful manufacture of devices).
The board would be responsible for maintaining both a general exclusion list and a "self-exclusion list." The general exclusion list would consist of individuals whose presence in casinos the board feels would pose a threat to the well-being of the casino or Commonwealth (such as those who have been convicted of crimes relating to gaming).
The self-exclusion list would allow those who struggle with problem gaming to limit their access to casinos. Concerned family members, law enforcement or medical professionals could also petition to put individuals on the exclusion list.
Community Mitigation:

The bill would consider both initial mitigation expenses (such as the creation of new infrastructure) and ongoing expenses associated with casinos. The Gaming Control Board would be responsible for administering community mitigation.