Cayetano seeks referendum on gambling

By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Capitol Bureau Chief

Gov. Ben Cayetano wants gambling legalized in Hawai'i only if the voters approve a constitutional amendment spelling out how many casinos would be allowed to operate and what kinds of gaming would be legal.

That could effectively kill gambling proposals for this year, because a two-thirds vote by legislators is required to put a proposed constitutional amendment on the 2002 ballot, and lawmakers said it was doubtful even a simple majority would vote for gambling.

Senate Majority Leader Cal Kawamoto, D-19th (Waipahu, Pearl City), said the Senate is sharply divided on gambling, making a two-thirds vote on the issue all but impossible.

"No way — not right now," Kawamoto said of the chances for a constitutional amendment.

Even more resistance is expected in the House, which traditionally has blocked all gaming bills.

Leading House Democrats said yesterday said they did not believe there was even a simple majority in the chamber in favor of gambling. They said they planned to schedule a hearing on a gambling bill early in the session to dispose of the issue quickly.

"You don't want it to be a lingering distraction that could cause people to lose focus on other issues," said House Majority Leader Marcus Oshiro.

The idea is to give gambling supporters "a fair hearing," then move on to other matters that require attention, said Oshiro, D-40th (Wahiawa, Whitmore).

House Judiciary Chairman Eric Hamakawa, D-3rd (S. Hilo, Puna), said he would hold a hearing on a gambling proposal by mid-February, but has not decided what bill will be considered.

Hamakawa opposes gambling and said he doesn't believe there are enough votes in the House to pass a gambling bill. He said the issue should not advance out of committee for a floor vote unless there are enough votes to pass it.

Cayetano said yesterday he wants to go to the voters with a constitutional amendment as a way to prevent gambling from spreading across the state. He stopped just short of threatening to veto any bill the Legislature might pass that would legalize gambling outright.

"I don't want to see the Legislature approve it in the form of a general law" that could be passed by a simple majority vote by lawmakers, Cayetano said. "General laws, once you pass them, you can change. You can start with a single casino now, and five years later you can open it up to multiple casinos.

"One of the big reasons that a place like Las Vegas has all kinds of problems," the governor said, "is because they've got slot machines and gambling in everything, from grocery stores to service stations to McCarran airport."

Tom Grey, executive director of the National Coalition Against Gambling Expansion, expressed doubt that the state would be able to permit gambling in a single location and keep it from spreading.

"It's like trying to say if put cancer in your little finger, it won't metastasize anywhere else," Grey said. Gambling interests "have the ability, once in, to then influence the process to change the Constitution ...

"What stops them from expanding at a future time? It's really hard to be a little bit pregnant."

Lobbyists and spokesmen for the gambling lobby could not be reached for comment yesterday.

With the legislative session starting next week, representatives of both sides of the issue are trying to firm up support in the Capitol.