Lawmakers react to Quinn’s casino veto

Lawmakers react to Quinn’s casino veto

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A casino bill that supporters say would have created jobs and reduced the state debt was vetoed Tuesday by Gov. Pat Quinn.

The bill proposed the creation of five new casinos including one in Chicago, but Quinn said the bill didn’t include enough ethical oversight.

State Sen. Terry Link (IL-30),the original sponsor of the bill, has been working on the legislation for over 16 years. He said he wasn’t surprised by the decision, but said the governor’s silence on the issue is what upset him and his colleagues.

“A press release sent to them two minutes before you’re going to the media and that the media already had this. I think those are the kind of things that just infuriate the people that work in Springfield,” Link said.

Link and other bill sponsors plan an attempt to override the veto. They believe they have enough votes in the House, but are a few short in the Senate.