House leadership is attempting to retain casino jobs as lawmakers are set to address a $9.9 million industry aid package.
A new amendment would prevent each business from laying off three percent of their total workforce or three percent of their full time staff.
Otherwise, any individual company that breaks that agreement have to return their portion of state money.
Authored by Rep. Dennis E. Williams (D-Talleyville), he says it’s a matter of holding the casinos responsible for their request instead of just giving them a handout.
“If you go for a loan, then they ask you for collateral. If you go and ask for funding for a business, they want to see your business plan to show that you’re going to do certain things. The casinos asked for this money and they asked for it because they said they needed it to save the jobs.”
Finance Secretary Tom Cook says the three casinos employ more than 2,700 people among them.
The full bill was released from a House committee Monday afternoon with six of 10 committee members voting to send it on to the House floor. Should the House pass the measure with the new amendment, the Senate would then have to debate the issue again.
