A bill to legalize sports betting in Minnesota is in serious trouble as it clashes with partisan rancor over the arrest of a state senator on a felony robbery charge.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A bill to legalize sports betting in Minnesota is in serious trouble as it clashes with partisan rancor over the arrest of a state senator on a felony robbery charge.
One of the lead authors, Democratic Sen. Matt Klein of Mendota Heights, isn’t saying sports betting is dead. But he said in an interview Thursday that he’s not as optimistic as he was before Democratic state Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury was charged last week with breaking into his estranged stepmother’s home.
In the House, Rep. Pat Garofalo of Farmington, a Republican sports betting advocate considered key to bipartisan agreement, said the bill is closer to becoming a bill than ever before, but virtually this year. He said he believes it has been abolished.
“It’s kind of the classic Minnesota sports thing, we got the winning touchdown with two minutes left, we got the ball and we turned it around,” Garofalo said in an interview. We missed a field goal, and now we’re done. ”
According to the criminal complaint, Mitchell told police that he broke in because his stepmother refused to accept items of sentimental value from his late father, including his ashes. Although Senate Democrats removed her from their caucus and removed her from her committees, she has not publicly called for her resignation. Her lawyer said she deserves due process and she has no intention of resigning.
Mr. Mitchell resumed voting this week on the Senate floor, where Democrats hold a narrow one-seat majority, even on votes that could affect his fate. Senate Republicans were forced to deliberate for hours over a failed attempt to remove her from office, slowing the pace of passing the bill with less than three weeks left in the session. The Ethics Commission is scheduled to consider the Republican charges against her on Tuesday.
Sports betting has grown rapidly in recent years to at least 38 states, but more states will open this year due to political resistance and, in some cases, competing economic interests of existing gambling operators. appears unlikely to participate in sports betting. Sports betting advocates in Missouri filed a petition Thursday to put the issue on the November ballot, but proposals have stalled in Alabama and Georgia.
Legalizing sports betting in Minnesota would require bipartisan support, as Democrats hold slim majorities in both chambers. Republicans and Democrats alike will vote against it no matter what. The bill being discussed would put sports betting under the control of Native American tribes in the state, both in brick-and-mortar casinos and off-reservation via lucrative mobile apps. Key unresolved concerns include whether the state’s two racetracks and charitable gaming operations should take any action.
“This has always been a bipartisan bill. And in recent weeks, the bipartisan work has taken a little bit of a hit in recent weeks,” Klein said.
Klein said he stands by his comments he made for the first time on Minnesota Public Radio on Wednesday, when he said a month ago he expected the chance of passage to be 60 to 70 percent, but now puts it at 20 percent. Ta.
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who told reporters he plans to sign the sports betting bill once it reaches his desk, said Klein is probably right.
Klein said he is still in discussions with Republican Sen. Jeremy Miller of Winona, who agreed that the controversy over Mitchell’s continued tenure in the Senate further complicates matters.
“I think we still have a ways to go. I think it’s a narrow path. But if we can bring the stakeholders together and work towards an agreement, there’s still a chance to achieve an agreement,” Miller said. “But as the days go by, that becomes less and less likely.”
Democratic Rep. Zach Stevenson of Coon Rapids, the House’s lead sponsor, said he still thinks the odds are 50%.
“This bill is always going to be a difficult piece of legislation to put together under the best of circumstances, and it certainly faces a number of challenges at this time,” Stevenson said.
Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who lives in Brooklyn Park, told reporters that the House will probably pass it within the remainder of the session without focusing too much on whether it can pass the Senate or not.
“We can send something and it might help break the logjam,” Hortman said.