The Slots Bill Author Dissented from the Senate

On April 2, 2007, as widely expected by the public, Rep. Trent Van Haaften, a Democrat representing Mount Vernon and the main sponsor of the House Bill 1835, which allows racing tracks to offer slot machines, dissented from the Senate modifications that were approved last week. This means that a conference committee will have to wait to modify changes.

Sen. Tim Lanane, a Democrat from Anderson, commented that the House and Senate will have to choose conference committee members with Rep. Van Haaften at the helm as chairman. Both committees will not begin their deliberations until April 12, 2007, according to Sen. Tim Lanane. Once the committee is formed it will hold meetings.

According to Sen. Lanane, the schedule for the meetings could be decided on April 12, 2007 and the committee could convene that day. The committee members will be composed of 2 senators from each party and 2 representatives coming from each party to iron out the differences and issue a statement regarding their recommendations. The proposal will then go back to the full House and the Senate. It must get a total of 51 votes in the House and 26 votes in the Senate.

Lanane commented that there is a large possibility that it will not happen, that both the Senate and the House will not pass the report and will be sent back to the committee to be modified. Should the bill be passed by both the houses, it will then go to Gov. Mitch Daniels either to be signed into a law or vetoed.

Wednesday, 25 April 2007
Caroline Mitchell