Maybe some hope for Seminoles, state after all
Now, if you read between the lines of Josh Hafenbrack's report from Tallahassee, there's hope for an agreement between the Seminoles and the state.
The parties met on Monday, trying to make the Aug. 31 deadline.
George Lemieux, Gov. Charlie Crist's former chief of staff who is helping lead the negotiations, said the two parties are "narrowing down the issues" and hope to have an agreement by Aug. 31, 13 days away.
But still, the Legislature, in a likely special session, would have to decide whether to accept the new terms.
Hafenbrack says:
One change will be to the so-called "exclusivity" provisions -- which ensure that the Seminoles are the only gambling operators with the rights to blackjack and slots outside South Florida. The Legislature would require the tribe to make payments to the state even if competitors get similar gambling games, as long as the tribe's revenue didn't experience a major drop. The tribe balked at that idea.
NICK SORTAL began playing 3-card "gut" and "Indian poker" on high school band trips, moved on to "night baseball" and "pass the trash" during a Dr. Pepper-infused midnight game in the 1980s at the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, and now play in a regular neighborhood Hold 'Em game in Plantation. I have been given the assignment of writing about the gambling life in South Florida casinos for the Sun-Sentinel...which means sitting around watching poker on TV now counts as research.
