BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Louisiana Legislature gave final approval Monday to a bill legalizing riverboat gambling on state waterways.
House members voted 61-40 to accept a negotiating committee's report on the bill by Rep. Francis Heitmeier of New Orleans.
The Senate had already approved the legislation, which now goes to Gov. Buddy Roemer for his signature.
The riverboat gambling bill was passed over the objections of lawmakers who preferred putting a casino in New Orleans.
The bill would allow 15 paddlewheel boats with casino gambling to cruise the following waterways: lakes Ponchatrain and Maurepas, the Intracoastal Waterway, the Mississippi, Calcasieu, Atchafalaya, Mermentau and Red rivers, Bayou Bienvenu and the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, a navigation channel extending from the river at New Orleans. No more than six boats could be in any one parish.
Communities not wanting the vessels could prohibit them from docking. Cities that accept the ships will get $2.50 per passenger who board at their location.
Rep. Sherman Copelin of New Orleans,argued against the bill, saying the Crescent City would be better served by a casino on land: 'Let me give you my theory. I think what we need if we are going to bring New Orleans alive with any form of gambling is one single standing casino.'
Gambling opponent Rep. Ed Scogin denounced the bill as 'trashy.'
'We're going to go back home and tell our people we've solved all of the state's financial ills. We've turned the state over totally to the gambling fraternity,' he said.
