By IL Public Radio
Springfield, IL – Illinois House lawmakers have defeated a plan to expand gambling as a way to pay for construction needs.
The package would drastically change the gambling landscape in Illinois, giving Chicago a casino and adding two more in the state. But as was expected the measure fell far short of passing, leaving the future of a so called capital program more uncertain than ever.
While all seem to agree lllinois needs to fix roads... bridges.... schools and other infrastructure.... House Democrat Bob Flider of Decatur says there has to be a better way....
Others say their distrust of Governor Rod Blagojevich, who would oversee the program, prevented them from voting for it. The City of Chicago was also opposed to paying a licensing fee included in the measure.
After the defeat House Speaker Mike Madigan called the gaming plan "dead".
But Madigan is bringing the House back next week to consider restoring some money to the budget that the Governor cut. He says it's doubtful all of the nearly one and a half billion dollars Blagojevich cut will be put back. The House will return to Springfield for three days starting next Tuesday. The Senate won't come back until the House takes action.
