Senate craps out Two proposals to study legalized gambling in Hawaii were dealt a final blow yesterday when Senate Judiciary Chairman Brian Kanno moved to "indefinitely hold" the measures, effectively killing them for the year.
on gambling
The resolutions were to
By Lisa Asato
look at the social and
economic impacts of gambling
Star-Bulletin"The resolutions are dead, dead, dead," said Kanno (D, Ewa Beach). That decision follows the lead of three Senate committees that jointly defeated the resolutions Wednesday.
One resolution would have prompted a study looking at gambling's social and economic impacts on the state; the other would have focused on its social impact.
Kanno said the only way the resolutions could be revived would be if the House inserted them in an existing measure, requiring House and Senate members to hammer out differences in conference committee. But he called that "a long shot."
House Majority Leader Marcus Oshiro (D, Wahiawa) agreed.
"If the Senate decided not to move forward their resolutions, it's unlikely that we're going to do anything with our bills and resolutions at this point," he said.
Senate President Robert Bunda (D, Wahiawa), who introduced one of the gambling resolutions, said he was dis- appointed but would not pursue it further.
"This is it for the year," Bunda said. "I only surfaced it as a way to put all scenarios on the table, but apparently they didn't want to tackle this issue."
Last week, the gambling resolutions drew a standing-room-only crowd of pro- and anti-gambling testifiers who largely supported the idea of a study, saying it would prove their viewpoint.
Gambling opponent Jean Aoki of the League of Women Voters heard yesterday's decision and left the room, saying, "We came to see the last nail pounded into the coffin, and I think we got it."
Star-Bulletin reporter Richard
Borreca contributed to this report.
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