ST.PAUL, Minn. – Sports gambling has hit a road block in a state Senate committee. The State and Local Government Committee voted to table a bill proposed by Matt Klein, D-Mendota Heights. The bill purported to address objections that doomed sports gambling proposals in previous years. He committee’s lack of enthusiasm also boded ill for a separata sports betting bill proposed Jeremy Miller R-Winona. Klein said his bill, SF-757, had backing from Minnesta’s 11 sovereign tribal nations, Canterbury Park, the Allied Charities, and the Minnesota professional sports teams. Among objections:
> Senator Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, worried that gambling can lead to addiction. “Idon’t think we should be doing bills that create problems with the hope that government is going to come around and fix them, because, as we know, it doesn’t.”
> John Marty, D-Roseville: “If we’re going to legalize, if we’re going to expand this, I think we have to do everything in our power to prevent real safeguards, and not just ones that the industry finds they can live with.”
> Erin Quade, D-Apple Valley: “We have a lot of work to do before I think this could earn anywhere near positive remarks