Legislative leaders in Florida's House and Senate do not support Governor Rick Scott's request for a special session in May to finalize a new gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe. The current compact expires next year. A Republican legislator said the deal is "toast" because Scott failed to provide details, leading many to believe he gave the tribe what they wanted. This could hurt Scott's ability to get campaign contributions from large gaming companies in the future. For a new compact to take effect, the legislature would need to approve and pass it, but lobbyists say Scott likely does not have the votes needed in either the House or Senate.

1. Re-Posted by Greg Roselli
Florida legislative leaders rebuff Gov. Rick Scott on gambling
special session
Legislative
leaders
in
Florida’s
House
and
Senate
have
shown
very
limited
support
for
Governor
Rick
Scott’s
offer
to
hold
a
special
session
in
May
to
finalize
an
agreement
with
the
Seminole
Tribe
over
the
gaming
compact
that
expires
next
year
which
is
deputies
hinted
was
nearing
completion.

2.
“It’s
toast,’’
said
one
Republican
legislator,
who
noted
that
Scott’s
failure
to
provide
details
led
many
of
his
colleagues
to
conclude
that
he
gave
the
tribe
what
they
wanted
–
a
perception
that
may
have
serious
repercussions
for
the
governor
as
he
reaches
out
to
large-­‐scale
gaming
operators
for
campaign
contributions.

3.
Las
Vegas
Sands
CEO
Sheldon
Adelson
and
Donald
Trump
have
supported
Scott
in
the
past,
but
have
suspended
sending
his
political
committee
any
additional
contributions
while
he
has
been
engaged
in
negotiations
with
the
Seminoles.
Conversely,
however,
the
Seminole
Tribe
has
donated
$500,000
to
the
governor’s
committee
he
began
negotiations
that
are
speculated
to
include
a
renewing
its
monopoly
on
black
jack
and
other
house-­‐banked
card
games
in
the
state.

4.
For
an
agreement
to
become
law,
however,
it
must
be
approved
and
passed
by
the
legislature.
Lobbyists
interviewed
by
the
Miami
Herald
in
late-­‐April
said
the
governor
“not
only
couldn’t
muster
the
votes
for
it
in
the
Senate,”
which
traditionally
is
more
pro-­‐gaming,
but
also
“barely
had
30
votes”
in
the
House,
which
is
traditionally
more
conservative.