Chicago Governor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn continue to spar in person and in the media over casino legislation. For Emanuel, a Chicago casino can’t come fast enough. For Quinn, the legislation needs to be studied carefully to make sure they don’t do more harm than good.

The fellow Democrats agree that allowing a casino in Chicago is a good idea. It would bring revenue to the city that is currently crossing the border to Indiana. However, the legislation that would allow such a casino also calls for several other casinos, slot machines at racetracks and even slots in airports.

Mayor Emanuel is counting on getting the revenue that a Chicago casino would provide, so much that he seems to already be allocating that money. Emanuel predicts that a Chicago casino will bring in $150 million in annual revenue for the city and he has that revenue earmarked for CTA stations, roadwork, school renovations and more. It’s nice to have a plan for extra money, but Governor Quinn doesn’t like the mayor publicly saying how he will spend money that the governor has yet to approve. According to Quinn “spending the money before the law is passed is putting the cart before the horse.”

Emanuel says the revenue is vital to Chicago. In recent years, the federal and state government is allocating less money to the city for its infrastructure. Emanuel says that he is “committed to making sure that the resources that have not been coming from Washington, that have not been coming from Springfield,” start coming from a Chicago casino. To Emanuel, a casino allows the city to become more self-sufficient and pay for needed projects.

Governor Quinn has said that he has a number of problems with the gambling legislation, including that it is too big and that it would reduce government oversight of the industry. He says that the bill has “serious shortcomings” when it comes to “honesty and integrity.” Emanuel has not commented on the bill as a whole, only on the part concerning a casino for the Windy City.

New Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel got his wish in the Illinois House, and as far as I know he didn’t even have to send a dead fish or any other threat to get it. The state House of Representatives passed a bill allowing a casino in Chicago. The bill now moves to the Senate, where Emanuel is urging them to pass it swiftly.

By a 65-50 vote, the House passed a bill that would allow four additional casinos in Illinois, including one in Chicago. The legislation would also allow slot machines to be added to the state’s racetracks and to the two airports in Chicago.

Emanuel supports the legislation and has lobbied lawmakers in the House and Senate on behalf of bringing a casino to Chicago. He has talked to members of both parties and has also lobbied the governor. After the House passed the bill, Emanuel issued a statement saying that “a Chicago casino will spur local economic growth and provide jobs to Chicagoans, both needed to get our city moving again.”

Often when someone says that a casino will boost an economy, someone else rolls their eyes and says that it won’t do much. However, it’s hard to make that case for Chicago. Though the city doesn’t have its own casino, there is one across the border in Hammond, Indiana, which is only 25 miles away. The casino there gets so much business from Chicago that they refer to themselves as a Chicago entertainment business. Half-joking, Emanuel said recently that “we have a casino in Chicago,” but that “it just happens to be located in Hammond, Indiana.”

Terry Link, the senator sponsoring the bill in his chamber, says that he expects it to clear the Senate easily. He also expects Governor Pat Quinn to “take a long hard look” at the legislation, eventually signing it to avoid turning down billions of tax dollars and new jobs.

Legislation that would allow smoking in Illinois casinos has been tabled in the Senate. Senator Martin Sandoval, who proposed the bill, a companion to a House bill that recently passed a committee vote, decided not to call his bill for a committee vote. Sandoval said that he is still building support and wants more time before bringing it to a vote. Opposition says he tabled the bill because he doesn’t have enough votes to pass it.

Senator Sandoval says that the legislation would create jobs in the state. Back in 2008, Illinois passed a law banning smoking in indoor public places. Since then, casinos have seen a decrease in revenue. Of course, that was the same time that the Great Recession hit America, so it’s difficult to tell how much of an impact the smoking ban had. However, statistics have shown that whenever casinos are forced to prohibit smoking, their profits decrease. Many casino players – 20% according to the American Gaming Association – like to smoke while they play. Since neighboring casino markets in Iowa, Indiana and Missouri do allow smoking, Sandoval believes that failure to exempt casinos will cost the state jobs and money.

Sandoval’s bill does face stiff opposition, though. The American Lung Association has campaigned hard against it, saying that it discriminates by not protecting casino employees. Governor Pat Quinn opposes creating an exemption for casinos. Senate President John Cullerton not only opposes it, but he was the sponsor of the 2008 smoking ban. The Illinois casino industry backs Sandoval’s bill to give them an exemption. If the bill passes the House, Sandoval may be able to get more support in the Senate.

A law allowing, among other things, video poker as a way to generate revenue has been struck down by an Illinois appellate court. According to the court, Governor Pat Quinn’s public works law is unconstitutional.

The law is a $31 billion construction program, a sort of “stimulus” that Quinn says will generate jobs. The public works projects are paid for in the bill by introducing video poker machines, increasing taxes on candy, beverages, grooming and hygienic products, increasing the secretary of state fee, privatizing the lottery and more. According to the Illinois Appellate Court, the law violates the state constitution’s “single subject rule.” The constitution requires that any bill that appropriates funds be confined to a single subject. The appeals panel said that the “wide range of topics” in the law “cannot be considered to possess a ‘natural and logical connection.’”

State officials plan to appeal the case to the state Supreme Court as well as asking the court to issue an immediate stay so that the projects can continue until the issue is resolved. The lawmakers’ case for the constitutionality for the law is that they titled the law “An Act Concerning Revenue.” Given the vague title, the law can then be applied to a broad variety of subjects, they contend.

So according to the state, if you give your bills vague titles such as “Stuff We Would Like to Spend On,” you can include as many subjects as you want in it, regardless of the constitution. The court found the flimsy argument “unconvincing.”

According to the appellate court, which struck down the law by a unanimous 3-0 vote, the single-subject rule is designed to “prevent the passage of legislation that, if standing alone, could not muster the necessary votes for enactment.” As a local ABC affiliate noted, the legislation began as a five-page bill with a narrow topic but then ballooned into a 280-page bill covering a wide range of topics.

The case was originally brought to the appellate court when Rocky Wirtz, who owns the Chicago Blackhawks and distributes liquor, filed a lawsuit.

Yesterday was a day when the United States spoke out as (mostly) one voice, telling the government that they want more freedom and less government control. That includes Republican Mark Kirk winning the U.S. Senate race in Illinois. Despite the overwhelming rebuke of overbearing government, however, one day prior a town in Illinois did exactly the opposite, taking away freedom in the name of “the greater good.”

The village of Frankfort banned video gambling on Monday, feeling that something as unsavory as spending money while playing a game doesn’t fit with their image. Village trustees on Monday approved an ordinance that prohibits all video gambling within the village limits.

Last year, the Illinois state legislature passed a new law that legalized gambling machines are bars, clubs and restaurants. The law allows local governments to opt out of the legalization of the gambling machines, though. Due to Frankfort’s ordinance, the people of that village will not have that privilege. Approximately 23 businesses in the village that would have been eligible for the gambling machines under state law will no longer have that opportunity.

Trustee Mike Stevens stated that Frankfort is a community of families, perhaps implying that some communities are not. One can only assume he means that Frankfort is supposed to be a family-friendly community. In his mind, allowing gambling machines in bars isn’t family friendly. On the other hand, is bringing your family to a bar in the first place family-friendly?

Stevens said that gambling “doesn’t fit the character of Frankfort.” I’m not sure what character your town needs to have for people sitting at a computer playing a game to be inoffensive. Apparently, though, Frankfort doesn’t have it.

Some bar and restaurant owners weren’t too happy with the decision. Adding video gambling machines would have increased revenue at a time when extra money is needed.

More and more states have been expanding gambling lately. For some, it’s in order to provide more revenue to states that are strapped for cash. For some, it’s a civil rights issue, where they feel a ban on gambling goes against the freedom of people to spend their money as they please. For others, it’s simply because they like regulating things.

Last year, the state of Illinois passed a law that legalized video gambling in the state. It was done with the thinking that any city or town that didn’t want to be a part of the gambling industry could opt out by banning it. Anyplace in the state where video gambling wasn’t specifically banned would be made legal by the new state law.

When that happened, the city of Chicago quickly passed a ban on video gambling machines. Since it’s Chicago, the more corrupt city in America, I’m guessing it’s because the anti-gambling lobby paid the politicians more money than the pro-gambling lobby did. After all, money is the grease in the Chicago political machine.

After hearing pleas from supporters of video gambling, the Chicago City Council finally agreed to consider overturning the ban. After listening to the groups, the Council had a hearing on the video gambling ban on Monday. The outcome of the hearing – if there was an outcome – is unknown.

The battle over the legalization of video gambling at the state level was intense and at times it has been in Chicago as well. Supporters state that overturning the ban will result in increased revenue as well as a creation of jobs. Considering Chicago is going bankrupt and has an unemployment rate over 11%, both are big issues. Of course, since this is Chicago, I doubt the City Council cares what is good for the people and will only act in their own interests. That means that the pro-gambling lobby better start making good offers.

Of course, I’m not advocating bribery or any other sort of corruption. I am only acknowledging that it is rampant and expected in the Windy City. The pro-gambling lobby wasn’t “convincing” enough the first time. Let’s see if they do a better job this time.

It seems that not all of the counties in Illinois are in agreement with the governor over the benefits of adding video gambling to the state. Governor Pat Quinn wants to expand gambling operations in the state to pay for road construction, mass transit, and other wastes of money that liberals love. It turns out that not everyone shares his vision.

DuPage County became the first to give Quinn the smackdown on Tuesday, voting against video gambling. Other counties may follow suit. Bridget Gainer, Cook County Commissioner, stated that she didn’t think people realized until recently what was going on as far as Quinn’s plans, but “now that they do, they’re ready to move.” Quinn still hopes to convince other counties of the positive economic impact of his plan and is confident that not every county will vote against it.

Many counties are considering voting against the plan because their citizens are either against or skeptical about gambling. Part of the problem is that the people of Illinois don’t exactly have a lot of confidence, or trust, in their politicians. It is a state that has had 3 governors sent to prison in the last 35 years and given us such corrupt lawmakers as Roland Burris and Barack Obama. Pat Quinn, of course, is only governor because of Rod Blegojevich’s impeachment.

If Illinois really wants to convince its people that video gambling is a good thing, maybe their best strategy would be to have Quinn say it’s a bad thing, kind of a reverse psychology. It’s worth a try.