Gibbons strategizes with fellow legislators

Benjamin Grove

Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2001 | 11:25 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., this week is planning strategy for the upcoming congressional session with some key House Republicans during their visits to Las Vegas.

Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., the fiery National Republican Congressional Committee chairman, is in town to chat with gaming leaders and thank Republican donors for their money during the election season, Gibbons said. Gibbons plans to meet with him this week and chat him up about gambling legislation.

"It's great because Nevada's No. 1 industry deserves to have some attention paid to it," Gibbons said.

Two members of the gaming caucus -- a group of House lawmakers from gambling states -- are speaking at CES events. Gibbons spoke Tuesday to Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Ill., who represents Joliet, home of two casinos. The gaming caucus is outlining plans to this year battle a bill in Congress, backed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, that would ban bets placed in Nevada casinos on college sports.

"Our big concern is how do we put together a team approach with a great strategy to defeat the NCAA bill that seems to be looming out there on the horizon," Gibbons said.

Gibbons also will meet today with Rep. Frank LoBiando, R-N.J., who represents Atlantic City. Among the topics of conversation is a bill that would outlaw Internet gambling. The bill stalled in Congress last year. Legislation supporters, including Gibbons and other gambling state lawmakers, plan to push the bill again this year.

Gibbons said he was pleased Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., will take over as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. That committee likely will oversee the Internet gambling and college sports betting ban bills.

Sensenbrenner is much more sympathetic to Nevada's opposition to the betting ban bill than former chairman Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., who favored the bill, Gibbons said. Sensenbrenner was not present for the vote on the bill last year. Sensenbrenner has not said when the bill might surface in committee.

"He did not vote -- that may have been a political move on his part to not anger the chairman," Gibbons said.

Gibbons also plans to meet this week in Las Vegas with Gov. Kenny Guinn and Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, the new chairman of the House Transportation Committee, which controls highway projects.

Gibbons has been lobbying Young to funnel more money to Nevada for I-15 improvement projects. Young is in Las Vegas for the Safari Club International, a hunting group, convention. Eight members of Congress were to attend the event, organizers said.

Congress will get back to work late this month after the presidential inauguration.