The Illinois Senate has once again approved an expansion of gambling. But it remains to be seen whether Governor Pat Quinn will go along with the plan.
The legislation would create new casinos in Chicago, the suburbs, Rockford and Danville. It would also allow slot machines at horse racetracks. Lawmakers have been working on this expansion for years, but Gov. Quinn has vetoed two previous attempts. In response, Sen. Terry Link, a Democrat from Waukegan, says he added bans on campaign contributions by any business that holds a gambling license. He also took out a controversial plan that would have allowed gambling over the Internet: "I think that we went far, far further to make sure that the governor would be quite happy with this bill."
The governor has taken note of Link's efforts. Quinn spokeswoman Brooke Anderson says the legislation "appears to be moving in the right direction." But she says the administration is still trying to tweak the proposal as it moves on to the Illinois House.
