Racino opponents are outspent 20 to 1

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

By PAUL CARRIER, Portland Press Herald Writer

AUGUSTA — Racino opponents say that being outspent 20 to 1 in the ongoing legislative battle over Gov. John Baldacci's gambling-control bill is unfair but may not be a big disadvantage as the bill works its way through the Legislature. State records show that Casinos No! and the Christian Civic League of Maine, which oppose racinos, had only three lobbyists between them in January. The two groups combined paid their lobbyists about $3,475 last month.

By contrast, racino promoters Shawn Scott and his family and Penn National Gaming paid 11 lobbyists more than $74,000 in January.

Scarborough Downs, which would like to build a racino in southern Maine, spent more than $12,500 on State House lobbyists last month, when the Legislature's Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee began working on the governor's bill. The final cost of lobbying by Scarborough Downs is likely to be even higher than that, because some of its lobbyists have yet to file compensation reports for January.

That disparity has racino opponents fuming that they have been outgunned at the State House, where the legislative committee that is considering the bill plans to resume its work Wednesday.

Baldacci's measure would create a state Gambling Control Board to license and regulate slot machines. But other issues include how much of the take should go to promoters and to the state, whether Scarborough Downs should get another shot at siting a racino and whether there should be another statewide referendum on the issue.

The racino law that voters approved in November allows slots to be installed at state-licensed harness tracks that obtained local permission for slots by Dec. 31, 2003. Bangor voters endorsed a racino last June, but voters in Scarborough, Saco and Westbrook rebuffed Scarborough Downs in referendums last year.

"They certainly have locked up the A list of lawyers" as pro-racino lobbyists, said Dennis Bailey of Casinos No! "You need a play list, like a racing form, to know who's who."

Christen Graham, Scott's spokeswoman, however, said racino opponents could have invested more in lobbying the Legislature but chose not to do so. "We all have the same right to find partners and to raise money," Graham said. "That's part of the system. They can do that, too."

Michael Heath of the Christian Civic League of Maine said his organization cannot afford a phalanx of lobbyists.

Bailey, whose group hired former House Speaker Michael Saxl as a lobbyist this month, said he knew at the outset that racino supporters would outspend opponents on lobbying, but he said Saxl and his legal associates are up to the task.

Still unclear is whether heavy lobbying by racino supporters will bear fruit when the committee drafts its recommendations and the full Legislature votes on them.

Heath said Monday racino opponents are at a disadvantage in the Legislature because supporters have lined up so many high-powered lobbyists to do their bidding. But Bailey isn't so sure, arguing that overkill by racino supporters may hurt their cause in the Legislature.

"They're falling all over themselves," Bailey said. "Yeah, they have the advantage, but the onslaught is so great that there's been a backlash."

Staff Writer Paul Carrier can be contacted at 622-7511 or at: pcarrier@pressherald.com

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