Casino Foes Gear Up for a Fight in Tallahassee

Supporters of expanded gambling and casino operations in Florida can expect a fight in 2012. That was the message from leaders of faith-based groups who held a media event in Tallahassee on Tuesday to announce their opposition to a bill backed by Sen. Ellyn Bogdnoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, and Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, that would open the door to large casinos being set up in the Sunshine State.

Conservative leader John Stemberger from Florida Family Action drew a line in the sand and promised to fight any attempts to expand gambling in the Sunshine State.

We are here today to make clear our public opposition to any expansion of gambling in Florida and more specifically to announce that our opposition to casinos will be our No. 1 legislative priority this session, said Stemberger. Gambling is bad politics, bad policy and bad economics.

Stemberger pointed to a poll from the Hill Research Group that found that only 20 percent of Floridians wanted to expand casino operations while 77 percent wanted the same levels of legalized gambling or wanted to see it reduced in the Sunshine State.

Promising to hold the Legislature accountable, Stemberger announced his group will grade legislators on their votes and will ask them to sign a pledge to oppose casinos. Stemberger announced on Tuesday that his organization will also see which legislators receive the financial support of the gambling industry and their PACs.

We will not sit back idly as the gambling industry attempts to buy out Florida and her elected officials with the corrupting influence of the gaming money that is floating around Tallahassee like a bad flu bug," said Stemberger.