Friday, December 19, 2014
An Austintown trustee has learned that Republican Gov. John Kasich plans to veto House Bill 494, which included an amendment for Austintown and Dayton to receive their $500,000 racino payments.
Ken Carano said today, "I believe the governor is not happy with the idea that the state is paying any of it."
A source familiar with this issue confirmed that Kasich would veto the measure.
The payments were specified to only go to tracks in Austintown and Dayton in the recent amendment. Those tracks are both owned by Penn National Gaming, Inc. and were moved to those municipalities from other parts of the state.
Ohio Senate Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, D-33rd, and Sen. Bill Beagle of Tipp City, R-5th, scrambled to get an amendment onto a bill that had already passed the House - HB 494 - and that was concurred earlier this week.
Penn National had said they were not willing to pay any part of the $500,000 payment and called it a new tax.
The governor's office, which was not immediately available for comment, has said that it was the belief of the administration that the responsibility of the payment was on the track operators.