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Kach Explains

Posted: October 26, 11:17 am | (permalink) | (2 comments)

I had a conversation this morning with Republican Del. A. Wade Kach of Baltimore County about his 2007 special session amendment, which is the source of the slots zoning debate in Anne Arundel (see my Sunday story on the situation here: http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/top/2009/10/25-68/Political-necessity-led-to-slots-turmoil.html).

The amendment spent little time in the public eye and successfully required any slots facility to comply with local zoning laws. Since Anne Arundel doesn’t have any zoning for slots, Cordish Cos.’ proposal to put the machines at Arundel Mills has found itself in governmental purgatory for almost a year.

Like most things in Annapolis, the amendment had more quiet behind-the-scenes work than reflected in public discourse, Kach said. After all, the House passed it in only about three minutes.

Kach said he was motivated by the possibility of the legislature one day coming back and trying to put a slots facility in his district, a portion of northern Baltimore County he wants to keep “green” through land preservation.

“I just didn’t want to compromise what we are trying to do,” he said.

Unlike other legislators, who thought a referendum on the subject would provide enough cover to create local zoning without much argument, Kach said he knew there would be conflicts. He said it just didn’t make sense to allow gambling somewhere “irrespective” of the wishes of the locals.

“I did see the ramifications of this amendment,” he said. “I expected there would be some places in the state where a casino would not fit in.”

Kach also recognized that once the amendment was on, the slim voting margins gave the General Assembly’s leaders little choice but to keep it there and avoid revisions that would spur another vote.

“If the (bill) had come back, the whole thing would have been killed,” he said.

-Liam Farrell

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Liam - 2009-10-26

Thank you for this piece! The most important line in this is:

“I expected there would be some places in the state where a casino would not fit in.”

www.stopslotsatamm.com

unhide Comment hidden due to low ranking. Why is this comment hidden?

Rob A - Karma: Excellent

Liam - 2009-10-26

Thank you for this piece! The most important line in this is:

“I expected there would be some places in the state where a casino would not fit in.”

www.stopslotsatamm.com

unhide Comment hidden due to low ranking. Why is this comment hidden?

Rob A - Karma: Excellent

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STAFF BLOG: IN SESSION

State House reporter Liam Farrell gives insights into the inner workings of the 2009 General Assembly Session.

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