News from |
John Amodeo and Vince Polistina |
New Jersey General Assembly, District
2 |
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE Contact: John Amodeo or Vince
Polistina at 609-677-8266
May 8, 2008
AMODEO
AND POLISTINA URGE SUPPORT FOR BILLS
TO KEEP
CASINOS OPERATING DURING SHUTDOWN
SPECULATION REGARDING ANOTHER SHUTDOWN SHOULD SERVE AS A
REMINDER THAT THESE BILLS NEED ACTION
NORTHFIELD As news reports in
recent days have focused on concerns about whether
another government shutdown may result from this year’s
budget process, Assemblymen John Amodeo and Vince
Polistina today called for their colleagues in the
Legislature to support their legislation allowing
casinos to remain open in the event of a shutdown.
“We cannot afford to have a repeat of the
disaster that resulted from the government shutdown in
2006,” said Amodeo, R-Atlantic. “The clock is now
ticking toward the July 1st deadline and there is no
time to delay consideration of these proposals to
protect casino workers in the event of another
shutdown.”
Yesterday, the 15-members of the Legislature
held a press conference to announce their opposition to
key elements in Governor Corzine’s budget proposal.
News reports pointed out that if the members of the
caucus vote as a bloc, they could hold up passage of any
budget proposal.
Just last month Corzine said that the
state’s dire fiscal condition could make it “very
challenging” to pass a budget by the July 1
constitutional deadline.
The failure of the Governor and Legislature
to pass a budget by July 1 in 2006 resulted in a
shutdown of the state government and the closing of the
casinos in Atlantic City for the first time in history.
“There is no excuse for another government
shutdown, but we need to pass this legislation because
we have seen in the past that when it comes to the
budget deadline, there are no guarantees,” said
Polistina, R-Atlantic. “The last shutdown of the casinos
cost the state, and the casino industry and its
employees, millions of dollars. We must pass legislation
now to ensure that this never happens again.”
Amodeo and Polistina are the sponsors of
Assembly Bill ACR-135, a constitutional amendment that
would deem casino regulators essential state employees,
allowing the casinos to operate in the event of a
government shutdown. They are co-sponsors of ACR-155, a
similar amendment that has cleared the Assembly Tourism
& Gaming Committee, and is awaiting approval by the full
Assembly.
Polistina and Amodeo also are cosponsors of
Assembly Bill A-2410, which would allow casinos to
operate in the event of a government shutdown
this year –
since the constitutional amendments cannot take effect
until after they go to the voters in November. That bill
also has cleared the Assembly Tourism & Gaming
Committee, and is awaiting consideration by the Assembly
Appropriations Committee.