Letter to the Editor

Craig Bishop, Blooming Prairie

Sen. Mike Parry deserves our praise for co-authoring racino legislation this year. Given the current state of the budget situation, I believe it is time to again consider the merits of this proposal.

As both parties continue to argue their stances in regards to the current budget situation, it amazes me that we haven’t already passed this legislation. It’s obvious that the budget won’t be solved entirely with tax increases or entirely with cuts and this legislation provides money to the state from an industry that currently generates more than $1.5 billion in revenue without paying taxes. Racino legislation is popular with the public for one reason — it’s revenue that would be generated from the state by an existing activity.

Sen. Parry, I commend you for doing the work of the people. Please convince your colleagues, from both sides of the aisle, that this legislation is vital to the future of Minnesota. The state can’t continue to operate at a competitive advantage when it comes to gambling. Many other states already collect tax revenue from this activity, it’s time Minnesota does the same.