Patrick says he'll back slots if bill passes

BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - Gov. Deval Patrick offered lawmakers an ultimatum on Thursday: Pass a series of stalled bills and he would consider signing a casino bill that includes a single slots parlor.

Patrick has opposed allowing slots at the state's racetracks but now says he could accept a gambling bill with both casinos and one competitively bid slot parlor - but only if lawmakers first pass several key bills that have become bogged down.

The Legislature ends its formal session Saturday night.

"I am willing to consider that compromise if we get action to my satisfaction on all of these other bills," Patrick told reporters outside his Statehouse office Thursday after meeting with House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray.

Patrick ticked off his priorities including an overhaul of the state's Criminal Offender Record Information system, an economic development bill, a small business health care cost containment bill and a bill overseeing the siting of wind energy turbines.

"It is absolutely critical that we break this logjam," Patrick said. "My willingness to compromise is not unlimited in either time or scope."

A DeLeo spokesman said the House and Senate were working hard on the bills Patrick listed and that DeLeo welcomed Patrick's involvement in the effort to expand gambling and bring up to 15,000 jobs to the state.

The declaration came as House and Senate negotiators struggled to come up with a final version of the casino bill.

After meeting for about an hour Thursday afternoon, the negotiators headed back to their offices.

At the heart of the closed-door talks, which have dragged on for weeks, is what mix of casinos and slot parlor venues - if any - would be included in the final bill.

DeLeo favors allowing slots at each of the state's four racetracks and licensing two casinos. Murray has backed three casinos with no racetrack slots.

Sen. Richard Ross said Thursday that negotiators also were weighing the possibility of putting a number of slot parlor licenses out to bid. The Wrentham Republican, who sits on the six-member conference committee, said the licenses may not be limited to the state's racetracks.

Critics of DeLeo's proposal, including Patrick, have said setting aside licenses for the tracks would amount to giving the tracks no-bid state contracts.

Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, who also sits on the conference committee, said the bill's final details were still in flux, but that the committee has come up with a framework they hope to use to resolve the final issues.

"Everything is subject to change right up to the last moment," the Amherst Democrat.

Senate Ways and Means Chairman Steven Panagiotakos, another member of the committee, said staff members from both chambers have begun drafting a final bill even though each side has yet to reach a deal on the most critical issues dividing the two legislative bodies.

The committee needs to file the final language of the bill by 8 p.m. Friday to allow a vote by both chambers on Saturday.

That would not give lawmakers time to overturn any vetoes.

Rosenberg said he couldn't predict what action Patrick might take.

"Our job is to put together a bill representing the Legislature's opinion on what we ought to do," he said. "Then the governor will have the opportunity to review it and make his final decision."

Supporters of casinos say expanded gambling in Massachusetts will bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in added revenue each year while creating up to 15,000 jobs.

Critics say casinos will end up costing the state in social ills, including compulsive gambling, increased crime and divorce while also putting pressure on performing arts theaters.

The state already allows lottery games, horse racing and simulcasting of out-of-state horse and dog races.

Patrick's comments Thursday followed a bit of Statehouse theatrics. He first walked from his office to DeLeo's office. Then he walked past reporters to meet with Murray in the Senate reading room.

His comments also echo an ultimatum Patrick made in 2009 when he threatened to veto a proposed sales tax hike unless lawmakers first passed ethics, pension and transportation overhaul bills. They did and he agreed to the sales tax hike.