Count local representatives Julie Menghini and Bob Grant among those surprised by the casino application submitted by Ozark Trail Gaming LLC last week.
“I didn’t have the slightest inkling of that,” said Menghini, D-Pittsburg. “I hope that it’s a good thing, and something that comes to fruition.”
Ozark Trail applied to build a casino at U.S. Highway 166/400, one mile north of I-44 in Cherokee County. Grant, D-Cherokee, said he was encouraged by the application, but remained a bit apprehensive.
“On the surface, you’re adding revenue to one of the poorest counties in Kansas,” Grant said. “But the main thing that bothers me is that the folks that made this application haven’t even talked to the Cherokee County Commissioners.”
Grant said the application could also cast further shadow over a proposed bill to tweak the gaming statute. The bill, proposed last session by Menghini, would have dropped the needed financial investment for a casino in the Southeast Gaming Zone that includes Crawford and Cherokee counties. But one of the chief portions of the bill was a clause that would lower the percentage of revenues the state would receive from slot machines at racetracks.
The slot part of the bill was added specifically as an aid to the New Frontier at Camptown Greyhound Park in Frontenac, where manager Phil Ruffin Jr., has expressed concern with the state’s portion of slot revenues. Ruffin has said that if the percentage isn’t changed, he wouldn’t be able to reopen Camptown.
But Menghini said that if Ozark Trail’s application is approved, some legislators might not see the need to pass gaming-related legislation.
“That portion of the bill becomes basically unnecessary as long as (Ozark Trail) actually does what they say they are going to do,” Menghini said. “Whether that will make it easier or more difficult to make adjustments for the slots at the track, I don’t know. I could definitely see that happening.
“At the same time, for some people, it might make it more palatable to have one less portion,” Menghini said. “It certainly does add another twist to it.”
And twists, Menghini said, were something she was trying to avoid. Menghini’s bill was removed from the House Federal and State Affairs committee last year and placed in the House Economic Development committee, where it was never heard. In order for the bill to see the floor against the Speaker of the House’s wishes, Menghini said the bill would have to garner 70 votes of support.
“I think we have the 63 to get it passed if it gets to the floor,” Menghini said. “But I’m not sure whether we’ll have the votes to ever bring it to the House floor.”
Grant, too, said that he was unsure of the gaming bill’s future.
“I thought we were close to a bill that would be acceptable and would be passed,” Grant said. “I think we have the governor on board to get this done. But now, I don’t know.
“We’re not trying to pass gaming again ... all we are trying to do is what we have done with other legislation — tweaking it to make it work,” Grant said. “Gaming has been passed. We just have to make it to where it works. We have to change that percentage that is going to the state (on the slots).”
For Ruffin and Camptown, the clock is ticking. The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission basically gave the track through the 2010 Legislative Session to open the track. If no gaming legislation is passed, the KRGC has said they will likely remove the track’s license to operate.
At the same time, if implemented, 2 percent of the revenue generated by the Ozark Trail casino will go to Cherokee County, while 1 percent will be allocated to Crawford County.
“It certainly does affect the folks around here in a positive way if it goes well,” Menghini said. “But it doesn’t downplay the importance of the track to people in Frontenac, or to the charitable recipients of the money Camptown would generate.
“So I don’t think it necessarily negates a desire to see Camptown reopened,” Menghini said.
Grant said he, too, would like to see Camptown opened, but said he wasn’t optimistic about the gaming bill’s chances.
“I’m happy that we have an application now,” Grant said. “I don’t know much more about it, and it could wind up affecting Camptown somehow.
“I guess we’ll just have to sit back, wait and see.”
Kevin Flaherty can be reached at kevin.flaherty@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 Ext. 134
PITTSBURG —
