Stay Informed!

Josephs' casino buffer proposal moves out of House committee

HARRISBURG, Feb. 13 – State Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Phila., announced today that the House State Government Committee reported out a bill that would protect Philadelphia's neighborhoods from the traffic, crowds and noise of casinos -- both now and in the future.

"I am very pleased that I was able to secure approval of this legislation," said Josephs, chairwoman of the committee. "This is a very important bill in that it not only protects residents from future gaming expansion by allowing voters to decide in a binding ballot question, it also protects residents now by requiring a buffer zone between the current proposed casino locations and schools, places of worship and playgrounds."

The legislation (H.B. 14) as originally introduced would allow municipalities to place a binding ballot question before voters to approve or disapprove the expansion of gaming within their neighborhood.

Josephs was able to amend the legislation with her bill (H.B. 1477), so that it also would require a 1,500-foot buffer zone to be placed between schools, churches and playgrounds and casinos.

"Many Philadelphians have been upset by the planned locations of the casinos because of the impact they will have on the surrounding community -- and rightly so," Josephs said. "Casinos increase traffic and draw crowds, and the people who live in the adjacent neighborhoods will be affected by these things every day. Their concerns should be taken into account, but the Gaming Control Board did not do that, and that's why this legislation is necessary."

Josephs has advocated for more local involvement and oversight since the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board PGCB first began considering awarding slot licenses in the city.

She criticized the PGCB for not providing enough public access to casino applications during the review process, and she fought legislation that would have removed local authority regarding casino zoning decisions and allowed casinos to ignore the city's no-smoking ordinance.

Josephs also stopped a plan to remove from the legislature the power for approving riparian land conveyances. Legislation was planned to allow the governor to convey them directly to developers, but Josephs was successful in getting it dropped.

"I am not opposed to gaming; what I am opposed to is not keeping the public involved in something that will have a direct impact on the quality of life in their neighborhoods," Josephs said.

The amended bill now goes to the full House for consideration.

###agh/2008/mjh l:\print\releases\buffercomte.182