The Indiana Senate narrowly endorsed a plan for establishing a new casino in the Fort Wayne area as several senators objected to the lack of a local referendum on whether residents support such a project.
Senators voted 26-22 on Tuesday in favor of House Bill 1038, which would authorize a 14th state casino license. It would allow three northeastern Indiana counties — Allen, DeKalb and Steuben — to pursue the casino project, with the winning company required to spend at least $500 million on the casino and related amenities.
Several government and business officials from those counties have supported the casino effort. But it has faced persistent opposition from residents who some senators argued should have the chance to vote in a local referendum as has happened before casinos opened in other counties.
Northeast Indiana Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, cast the deciding vote to move the bill forward.
Lack of referendum denounced
Sen. Tyler Johnson, R-Leo, cited an overflow crowd of casino opponents for a town hall meeting he held last year on the possible project as he criticized the omission of any voter referendum.
“We took it out because I think we knew what the results of that would be,” Johnson said.
Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne, lamented that local residents “will not have their voice heard.”
“We’ve heard talk, ‘Well, there might be too much opposition on the other side and it would fail,’” Brown said. “Oh, my goodness. What a horrible idea that the people don’t get to decide.”
Every other time lawmakers have authorized a casino in Indiana, local residents have voted in a referendum.
Rising Sun casino future unsettled
The bill must still win approval from the House, which earlier this month approved a differing version that set up a process for shifting Indiana’s lowest-performing casino from the Ohio River city of Rising Sun without establishing a new casino license.
The Senate-approved version would leave the current Rising Star casino in place and remove eastern Indiana’s Wayne County from the possible locations for the new casino.
A final version of the bill must be agreed upon by the House and Senate by the end of this week, when this year’s legislative session is scheduled to adjourn.
Bill sponsor Sen. Justin Busch, R-Fort Wayne, argued that the required $500 million investment would be an economic boost for the area.
“This will not just be a gaming floor, but a true destination development, with hotel rooms, dining and entertainment amenities,” Busch said. “This ensures that we’re talking about a transformative, long-term investment in northeast Indiana.”
Tuesday’s close vote did not fall along party lines as 22 Republican senators and four Democrats supported the bill, with 17 Republicans and five Democrats voting against it.
No traction for Indianapolis casino
A state-commission study last year found that downtown Indianapolis would be the most profitable site for a new casino. A push for an Indianapolis casino, however, has not gained traction among legislators amid questions about its impact on existing casinos in Shelbyville and Anderson.
Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, said he could not understand why a downtown Indianapolis casino wasn’t under consideration since it would bring in the most new state revenue — and help the city continue as Indiana’s top tourism destination.
“If we want to maintain that, we better keep attracting people to come to Indianapolis, because Nashville is not going away. Charlotte’s not going away, name your city in the Midwest is not going away,” Freeman said. “In case you didn’t know, we don’t have a beach or mountains to go to. So we better be trying to attract people here — and we don’t.”
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.
