Bryan, Reid on alert for bill

Benjamin Grove

Friday, June 30, 2000 | 11:09 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Nevada senators are again playing defense on a bill that would ban betting on college sports in state casinos.

Harry Reid, the Senate's assistant Democratic leader, on Thursday blocked a move by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., to bring up the bill for debate. Lott brought the bill forward for Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., one of the bill's primary supporters.

"I got rid of the bill," Reid said. "They are determined. This isn't a victory yet. It's kind of a dangerous thing legislatively."

It is not clear when Brownback and Lott, who controls much of the action in the Senate, will attempt to bring the bill up again. The Senate does not meet next week.

"We could bring this up today, tomorrow, it could come at any point," Brownback spokesman Erik Hotmire said Thursday.

Brownback is working with Senate leaders to craft an agreement so that the bill could be debated without a Nevada block, Hotmire said.

"We're trying to work behind the scenes to see how it can be brought up without an objection so we can get a vote," Hotmire said. "We believe if we could get a vote, it will pass."

Reid said he is not negotiating with Brownback.

Hotmire said it wasn't yet clear if Brownback would bring up his legislation in the form of a free-standing bill or an amendment to another bill.

"Brownback is pushing hard," Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., said. But he added that it will be difficult for Brownback to obtain floor time for debate because the Senate, with just eight weeks of work left this year, is swamped with other legislation, including important spending bills.

"Time is our ally," Bryan said. "My read of this is that Lott made a commitment to Brownback, and he sought to fill that commitment. Lott was able to say, 'Sam, I tried.' "

Nevada is the only state that accepts legal bets on college games. The bill, advocated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, is aimed at curbing illegal betting on college campuses organized by Las Vegas-connected "student bookies." Brownback and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., also say that banning legal wagering in Nevada will curb game-fixing.

Nevada and gaming officials say Brownback's bill is misguided.

"The solutions that he is proposing are not relevant to the problems he is describing," said John Shelk, vice president for the American Gaming Association, the casino industry's Washington lobby.

Gaming association officials have met with Brownback and his staff, Shelk said.

"He feels strongly and it's a moral issue from his perspective -- he's been very honest about that through the markup and hearing process," Shelk said. "He's pretty committed to it."

The NCAA's lobbying team here was cheered by Brownback's appearance on the floor Thursday.

"Sens. Brownback and McCain are committed to being diligent, looking for an appropriate time to bring this forward," NCAA lobbyist Doris Dixon said.

Dixon said the push for a betting ban law this year has been the NCAA's biggest legislative effort within the last five years, in a rare across-the-board uniting of college presidents, coaches, athletic directors and student athletes.

"The fundamental message here is that this is government-sanctioned betting on teenagers," Dixon said.

The NCAA's Bill Saum said legal betting in Nevada sends a mixed message to students that gambling is wrong in most places but not everywhere. He added that game-fixing scandals in recent years at Northwestern and Arizona State Universities occurred when fixers made bets in Las Vegas.

"We just all wonder if those two cases would ever have happened if they wouldn't have been able to lay money down in Nevada," said Saum, director of agents and gambling for the NCAA.

Saum said universities nationwide just want the same protection Nevada schools enjoy. Gamblers cannot place bets on Nevada universities, although this week Gov. Kenny Guinn said he would support putting Nevada teams back on the betting boards and the Nevada Gaming Commission will consider the change.

Reid has long supported the switch.

"It takes one of their (NCAA) arguments away," Reid said.

The betting ban also is alive in the House, NCAA officials say. The House Judiciary Committee considered the bill this month but has not voted to send it to the full House.

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said the Republican leaders who control the House still say the bill will not be debated this year.

"I'm optimistic that it is still deader than a doornail," Gibbons said. "We're silently monitoring what is going on, and we're prepared to move into action if we see anyone else moving on it."

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., who has shown support for the bill, has backed off.

"He advised me that at this time he had no interest in pursuing the matter," Berkley said. "This gives us a golden opportunity to educate the next Congress as to why banning legalized betting on collegiate sports would have no impact whatsoever on illegal betting that occurs across the country and on college campuses."