Bill would remove loophole to build neighborhood casinos

Friday, Feb. 16, 2001 | 9:44 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A bill was introduced in the Senate Thursday to make it tougher to get approval to build big casinos in residential neighborhoods in Clark County.

"This will take away the loopholes in the law," said Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, as he sponsored Senate Bill 171.

The legislation is the outgrowth of the controversy over plans to build a casino in Spring Valley on a 22-acre parcel as part of a 115-acre shopping park.

Spring Valley residents opposed the project. County Commissioner Lance Malone said initially he opposed the casino but then changed his vote. He was defeated in November's general election in which the casino vote became a key issue.

Rawson said the key to his bill is that a casino could not be built in a neighborhood without the approval of the county commissioner or city councilman representing that district. In effect, the bill would give the local representative a veto.

He said this would prevent vote switching -- in which a councilman or commissioner, to disguise his true intentions, cuts a deal with colleagues on the board. This way, the public official, knowing that enough votes are there to approve the deal, can vote against the project and appear to his constituents to be voting in their interests.

The current law simply requires yes votes from three-fourth's of a board for a neighborhood casino to be approved. Rawson's bill also requires approval of a three-fourth's majority, but adds that the project is dead if it doesn't get the approval of the district representative, even if otherwise the required majority is achieved.

"The bill gives clear-cut authority," Rawson said.

The bill also expands the limits where a casino may be built. Currently, it must be 500 feet from the property line of a developed residential district. That is expanded to 1,500 feet. Also currently, it must be 1,500 feet from a public school or church. That would be expanded to 2,500 feet.

The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee.