Rep. France: Gaming Bill Would Save Much-Needed Jobs for Southeastern CT

HARTFORD – Rep. Mike France (R-42) on May 28, 2015 voted in support of a bill that provides a path to identify a host municipality for a satellite gaming facility in north central Connecticut. Rep. France, whose district includes both Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos, supported the retention of thousands of Connecticut jobs inherent in the bill.

S.B. 1090, An Act Concerning Gaming, passed by both the State House and Senate, is an effort to protect Connecticut jobs and encourage tourism by allowing the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut, jointly known as the Tribal Business Entity, to issue a request for proposal (RFP) to seek to possibly establish an off-reservation casino.

The bill would allow the Tribal Business Entity and a municipality to enter into a developmental agreement. The General Assembly would be required to approve the provisions of the agreement in a future session before construction may begin.

“As a State Representative that has both casinos within my district, supporting the continued viability of a significant employer is extremely crucial to the stability of the region. As a former Ledyard Town Councilor, I understand the challenges the casinos presented to our region when they opened as well as their transition over time to becoming good stewards and corporate partners,” said Rep. France. “Communication needs to be clear throughout the process to ensure a more positive relationship with the host municipality.

“The importance of passing this bill is to provide some assurance to the Tribal Business Entity that a development agreement will be given consideration next session by the General Assembly. It gives potential host municipalities the opportunity to evaluate the costs and benefits of a satellite gaming facility in their town. Only after reaching agreement will the next step be taken to consider approval for construction. I look forward to reviewing the development agreement to see the potential of the new facility that will save Connecticut jobs.”

According to the Connecticut Department of Labor, New London County recently saw the creation of approximately 1,000 nonfarm jobs. However, the county unemployment rate remains at 6.3 percent, a full half percent above the statewide unemployment rate, and has remained essentially unchanged over the past year.

“The addition of a single satellite gaming facility will help minimize the negative impact on jobs in the region due to out-of-state competition,” said Rep. France. “However, gaming will not be the key to sustainable economic growth for our region. We need to continue to look for opportunities to create an environment that will encourage job growth in Southeastern Connecticut by reducing the cost of doing business, which is principally due to excess taxation and regulation on our small businesses.”