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Gambling Compact Showdown in FL Supreme Court

January 30th, 2008 by flanews

Lawyers for the state legislature and Governor Charlie Crist squared off at the state Supreme Court Wednesday, over the gambling issue. In November, the governor gave the Seminole Indian Tribe exclusive rights to gambling on their reservations, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the legislature said the governor went too far.

Hear it here: Gambling Compact Showdown in FL Supreme Court

Las Vegas Style slots went into action Monday on the Seminole Reservation. If the agreement with the state stands, black jack will begin in April or May. State legislative leaders were in the Supreme Court to claim the governor went too far when he cut the gambling deal. Their lawyer barely got a word out before he was hit with tough questions.

“Is it your position that the governor does not have the power at all,” asked Supreme Court Justice Charlie Wells

The hearing lasted an hour.

The question the court must answer is whether the governor could give the tribe card games, which are prohibited in state law. The legislature’s lawyer says he can’t.

“Black jack is the major mainstream casino gambling type of card game,” said attorney Jon Mills.

Lawyers for the Seminoles and the governor said once voters approved
Vegas style slots, federal law took the gambling question out of the state’s hands.

“Once the state made the policy choice, the policy decision to allow class 3 gaming, then everything else that happened after that was taken out of the hands of the legislature,” Chris Kise, Counsel for the Governor.

“It’s undisputed that Florida has class 3 gaming, the question is whether that means their entitled to the card games.”

The court often takes months to decide, but this decision could come much sooner. Among the options open to the court, is to do nothing, which would send the case back to the legislature, which could then attempt to overturn the Indian compact.

Posted in Charlie Crist, Criminal Justice, Gambling, Legislature, Politics, State Budget, State News | No Comments »

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