Casino Bill: May 1, 2004

A bill to permit a casino at the deserted fish proscesing plant on Rasberry Road came to the House floor for a vote. The following is my floor speech
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Mr. Speaker:

This bill addresses a very very important policy issue. There are huge divisions of opinions on the issue of casino gambling for Alaska. I personally don’t feel I have all the information needed to make a truly informed decision to push either the red or green button. I think others in this body feel the same way.

If there ever was an issue that deserves a thorough analysis in committee, it is the casino issue. We’ve had committee hearings on rat racing, committee hearings on whether ski operators should be able to give tickets to skiers, and committee hearings on name various weeks of the year to honor various issues and viewpoints. This casino bill certainly deserves no less.

Regardless of which side of the casino issue you may think you’re on at this point, this is a major, major policy issue for Alaska, whether we vote for or against casinos.

With those thoughts in mind, I hereby make a motion, to refer the bill to the House Labor and Finance Committee. based on Rules of Procedure: and Mason’s Manual: and respectfully ask for a vote of the body on the motion.
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The Speaker called an "At ease." After controversy, the House came back to order, and the amendment failed. The Casino bill passed, but never made it into law.