Politics & Government
State Senate May Block Gaming Law Change
House expected to pass bill that would move oversight to Attorney General
Editor's Note: The following report appeared on the Pennsylvania Independent website on Friday.
A bill to transfer the investigatory arm of the state Gaming Control Board (GCB) to the attorney general's office is expected to pass the House this week but will be stymied by state Sen. Jane Earll (R-Erie).
H.B. 262, sponsored by state Rep. Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery), aims to make the Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement (BIE) independent of potential political influence by the GCB and turn the 73-member BIE into a full-fledged police agency, enabling it to secure information which it is currently denied.
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Through a House Democrat emissary, Ms. Earll said earlier this week she will not allow the bill out of the Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee she chairs.
State House Rep. Florindo Fabrizio (D-Erie) said she told him, "the bill will change nothing, be more costly and if it passes the House, the Senate will not take it up."
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Mr. Vereb said neither Ms. Earll nor her staff has contacted him regarding her problems with the measure.
Jason Brehouse, executive director of Ms. Earll's committee, said the senator believes internal management changes included in Act 1 of 2010, which allowed table gaming, were sufficient to address concerns about the BIE independence.
"She feels it's been pretty well vetted," he said.
"All communications have been through the newspapers [reporting Ms. Earll's pledge]," said Mr. Vereb, who is also secretary of the House Republican caucus.
Asked why he believes Ms. Earll or her staff did not contact him about possible problems with the bill, used Mr. Fabrizio to publicly announce her opposition at a public meeting of the House Gaming Oversight Committee and has declined to speak further on the matter, Mr. Vereb could offer no explanation.
"There are no words that can explain a stone wall," he said.
Mr. Brehouse said Ms. Earll went through Rep. Fabrizio because he is a member of both the Gaming Oversight Committee and the Erie area legislative delegation. He said Ms. Earll has no specific plans to contact Mr. Vereb about the bill.
"We will be sending [the bill] out of the House...and then see what can be done [in the Senate]," Mr. Vereb said.
The bill is slated for final consideration by the state House on Wednesday.
