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House panel considers countywide vote
for casinos
ROBERT SANDLER
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Opponents of a proposed riverboat casino
in the southwest Missouri town of Rockaway Beach on Tuesday asked
state lawmakers to require a vote of residents throughout Taney
County before the casino is approved.
Residents of Rockaway Beach, population 577, voted to authorize
the casino last month. But opponents - led by the business community
of Branson, about a dozen miles away but still within Taney County
- are pushing for a countywide vote.
Even if that happens, the casino couldn't be approved yet. Statewide
voters could be asked in November to amend the constitution to allow
the gambling boat on Lake Taneycomo, which is part of the White
River. Supporters have submitted signatures to the secretary of
state's office, which has not yet cleared the proposal for the ballot.
Each of the 11 casinos already in business in Missouri were approved
by their home city's voters, as required by state law. The bill
requiring an extra countywide vote would affect only casinos away
from the Mississippi and Missouri rivers - which would be only the
proposed Rockaway Beach casino.
Rep. Dennis Wood told the House Tourism and Cultural Affairs Committee
Tuesday that the decision of a few hundred people in Rockaway Beach
should not take precedence over the wishes of the 40,000 people
living in the county. Wood, a Republican, represents Branson but
not Rockaway Beach.
But the casino's lead proponent, Chuck Walters of Rockaway Beach,
said allowing a county vote would essentially give the county veto
power over the city.
"One of the things you're trying to do is take away our rights
as a city," Walters told the committee.
The Taney County Commission and much of the Branson business community
are opposed to the proposed casino.
Wyli Barnes of the Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention
and Visitors Bureau told the committee that her group was not opposed
to all gambling, just to the Rockaway Beach casino.
Tourism in the Branson area "is built on heritage and culture
and has a stronghold of family values, patriotism and a faith-based
lifestyle," Barnes said. "We have nurtured and protected
that image over the years."
Walters has said the casino would bring 1,000 new jobs with full
benefits to the town. Many residents of southwest Missouri have
jobs that are plentiful during the summer tourist season but are
unemployed during the winter, Walters said. The casino would give
those people high-paying jobs that include health insurance, he
said.
The legislation mandating a countywide vote has already faced a
tough road in the House. A bill containing identical wording was
assigned to the Elections Committee, where Chairman Bob May, R-Rolla,
said he will not allow a vote.
Wood then filed the same bill again, which was sent to the Tourism
and Cultural Affairs Committee, which heard testimony Tuesday. That
panel's chairman, B.J. Marsh, pledged Tuesday that he would allow
a vote "in a couple of weeks" on the bill.
Even if the committee approves the bill, Marsh, R-Springfield,
would still have the choice of whether to deliver the bill back
to the full House.
Source: The Kansas City Star
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