Sometime in June the Florida Supreme Court will rule on a lie.
Admittedly, I'm no lawyer. But I can't understand why the high court chose to hear arguments in the case involving Gretna Racing, a tiny Gadsden County horse track with a card room that frankly shouldn't have been eligible for a slot license in the first place.
With time running out in the legislative session and a gambling deal all but dead in the Senate, industry lobbyists and the Seminole Tribe scrambled to put together a new deal that included major concessions from the tribe regarding slot machines.
Although the talks never resulted in a piece of legislation, or even a draft bill, they marked the first time in recent history the Seminoles and pari-mutuel operators, traditionally at odds, have worked together to nail down an agreement palatable to the tribe, the pari-mutuel industry and the Legislature.
When you woke up this morning and there was no comprehensive gaming package for Florida, did you really think it was because of some clash of priorities in the House or in the Senate? Don't be silly. Every leader from the governor on down wanted basically the same thing out of the 2016 Legislature.
This week's attempts at expanding gambling in Florida were not unexpected. Obviously, Florida's horsemen are relieved that the end-run full decoupling amendments floated during these past few days were unsuccessful, but more important than that, we are pleased to know that our state legislators have taken pause to recognize and better understand the far-reaching positive economic impact of the Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse and Standardbred industries here in the "Horse Capital of the World."
For 14 months, from November 2014 through January 2016, casino interests plowed more than $3.2 million into political parties and the campaign war chests of leading Florida legislators, starting with Joe Negron, president designate of the Senate -- but including dozens of others. All in the hope they would get bills passed to expand gambling in Florida.
Though the deck is still stacked against them, Florida horsemen dodged a bullet in the Senate Tuesday -- and probably in the Legislature during the 2016 session -- when lawmakers postponed further discussion of sweeping changes in Florida gambling law.
Time is running out. The session ends March 11.
"I'm not saying nothing is going to happen here," said Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Lee, R-Brandon, after the morning meeting. "We're working to get something done, but it's not easy and time is running out."
THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, February 29, 2016……Calling it a "love note" to the Senate, a key House committee Monday signed off on a sweeping gambling bill that would ratify a $3 billion agreement with the Seminole Tribe and allow pari-mutuels in at least five counties to add slot machines.
Hope dwindled for Florida horsemen Friday after a revenue estimating conference on decoupling failed to address the economic impact of allowing many of the state's pari-mutuel facilities to close, while at the same time retaining their casino licenses.
State economist Amy Baker and a team from the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, Florida House, Senate, Department of Professional Regulation and the Governor's Office performed a fiscal review of the 2016 gaming bills before the House and Senate. It was an entirely one-dimensional exercise.
Gulfstream, the same race track leading the charge in the Legislature to collect an additional $45 million in revenue to boost prize purses, is the very track leading the charge among pari-mutuel owners to rip off the state of tax revenue.
Something, by the way, that's been going on for at least 10 years and probably longer.
And what an easy heist it's been for the tracks.
The president-designate of the Senate presided Wednesday over a nearly flawless presentation -- virtually, an orchestration -- of what gambling in Florida might look like if his Seminole Compact goes the distance.
