Riverboat casinos were thrown a lifeline this week as legislation was passed that would allow the water based facilities to expand onto land. That has Boyd Gaming CEO Keith Smith, who owns Treasure Chest, Sam’s Town, and Amelia Belle, pretty excited. He says this could lead more investment in Louisiana facilities.
Governor John Bel Edwards addressed the recent US Supreme Court decision to allow sports betting outside of Nevada on his monthly talk radio show. 32 states have legislation in place to allow the activities, including Mississippi, but Louisiana shot down similar legislation this session. Edwards didn’t oppose the idea.
But he says don’t expect to see Senator Danny Martiny’s parish by parish legalization legislation to pop up again during the special session that starts next week.
A bill that would have allowed teachers to pray with students in school has been gutted in the legislature. Jeff Palermo has more.
Lafayette Representative Nancy Landry’s anti-hazing bill flew through the House 88-1 and is on it’s way to the governor. The bill would making it a felony crime to initiate and participate in a hazing activity that kills someone, punishable by up to five years in prison. Organizations responsible would be liable for a 10,000 dollar fine. The legislation was named after Maxwell Gruver, who died in a hazing incident at LSU last year.