Yesterday the proposal to allow a public vote on opening a casino in Slidell stalled for the second time this legislative session, although it is not apparent if this means the effort to allow citizens the opportunity to vote on a casino in Slidell is in jeopardy.
State Rep. Mary DuBuisson, of Slidell and the sponsor of House Bill 702, said after asking her colleagues to skip over it on Wednesday that there were a few questions that needed to be answered and she wanted to wait until she felt like the time was right. She declined to identify the concerns, but said she might try again today. The House does not meet on Friday.
DuBuisson and Sen. Sharon Hewitt, of Slidell, who is sponsoring a similar measure in the other chamber, have said they want to give St. Tammany voters the chance to vote on the proposed $250 million investment they say would create 1,700 jobs during construction and 1,900 jobs once open.
Ministers from the Slidell area are providing opposition, saying the casino would create more problem gamblers in Slidell. One of the ministers said they were happy to hold off the vote for at least one more day. The proposed casino is also facing opposition from companies that already operate casinos in Louisiana and Mississippi.
