Members of the House and Senate began hearings on the new regulations that will oversee the state’s four new casinos as approved by the voters last fall. With a constitutional deadline of June 3, members will need to work fast on reaching consensus in the House and Senate versions, which have some significant differences. According to the House sponsor, Representative Todd Book (D-McDermott), the major differences between the House version (HB 519) and the Senate (SB 263) include the fee appropriations of $200 million in up-front registration fees and regular reports on diversity hiring practices and purchasing from Ohio-based operations.

House Economic Development Committee has the measure starred for a vote out of committee on Tuesday morning, while Senate Government Oversight Committee is planning for hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday next week with a possible vote on Wednesday. The General Assembly is winding down before its summer break. Both the House and Senate are scheduled for the rare Thursday session next week; it is expected that the casino implementation legislation will pass by next Thursday.