Legislative update

Today is the last scheduled day of our legislative session.  Still, no budget in sight. There is a good chance that the session will be extended into the summer. Horsemen are included in an internet gaming bill that could be very beneficial to us if it advances, but its future is very cloudy. Our 708 money (which is the money that comes from the Dept. of Ag. for state and county fair purses) is included in the Democrats version of a budget; but at this point in time, we don’t know if it will be adopted. Table games have been added to SB7, (the gaming bill) and sent to the House executive committee; that committee is currently not scheduled, but could be with an hour’s notice. Bottom line, everything is shaping up as expected, with little progress on anything. If this message seems vague and/or disjointed, it’s because that is how our General Assembly in Illinois works. You have to experience it in real time to understand how dysfunctional it is. I’ll update again as issues become clearer.