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Maryland, Pennsylvania Anti-Gambling Lawmakers Meet

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania – As reported by the Baltimore Sun: "Anti-gambling leaders from Maryland met yesterday with their Pennsylvania counterparts, hoping to establish a defensive perimeter against the expansion of gambling in the Mid-Atlantic.

"'If it passes in Pennsylvania, it's going to pass in Maryland,' Del. Curtis S. Anderson, a Baltimore Democrat, said after a two-hour meeting with lawmakers and activists in the state capitol here. 'If we can stop it in Pennsylvania, we can stop it again in Maryland as well.'

"The activists hope to form a coalition of states comprising Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania to keep out casino-style gambling.

"The unusual meeting yesterday of about two dozen anti-gambling legislators and activists comes as Pennsylvania's legislature considers a proposal to allow slot machines at 12 sites around the state, with up to 5,000 of the gambling devices at each location.

"…Del. Peter Franchot, a Montgomery County Democrat who headed the Maryland group, told the Pennsylvanians to reject the idea promoted by the gambling industry that the expansion of gambling is inevitable.

"He said Marylanders who oppose gambling were told the same thing but managed to beat the odds through grass-roots organizing, enlisting the support of politically influential African-American ministers who were concerned about the impact slots would have in their communities and pursuing other strategies.

"…In Pennsylvania, anti-gambling efforts have been led by Rep. Paul Clymer, a Republican from suburban Philadelphia who is drawing most of his support from conservative, white Republicans…"

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