A vote by St Tammany residents to consider a casino near Slidell is a step closer to reality after successfully getting through the Louisiana House on Thursday.
Rep. Mary DuBuisson, the measure’s sponsor, was visibly excited after the 63-28 favorable vote was announced, which was 10 more votes than she needed in the 105-member chamber. Hear a portion of her speech below.
House Bill 702 would let St. Tammany Parish voters decide whether they want a casino to open just outside of the Slidell city limits along I-10 and Lake Pontchartrain. That vote would take place in October and is necessary because parish voters rejected casino gambling in 1996.
But for now HB702 heads for consideration by a Senate committee, which could pose another stern test for the measure. A similar bill sponsored by Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, was blocked by the Finance Committee when Hewitt twice could not muster the votes to win approval there and advance it to the Senate floor.
Peninsula Pacific is proposing to spend as much as $250 million for a casino with a 250-room hotel.
DuBuisson noted that St. Tammany’s business and political leaders – including Parish President Mike Cooper – support HB702.
Two prominent groups have stood in opposition to the effort. A group of Slidell ministers working through the Louisiana Family Forum. And companies that have casinos in Louisiana or Mississippi and that would lose money to the proposed Slidell casino.
