It is appearing more and more likely that Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell is preparing to announce some sort of a budget deal (finally) with the Democratic-majority legislature.
And one of her proposals for balancing the budget – introducing the game of Keno to the state – is being left on the cutting room floor.
“I do not think Keno is going to be a part of it,” Derek Slap, spokesman for the Senate Democrats, said.
Rell’s budget office would neither confirm nor deny Keno will be included in the agreement, but my sense from our conversations is it will not be but they can’t say anything until the Governor releases the details.
Also the fact that Rell’s proposal, aimed at generating around $60 million in 2011, remains vague leads me to think the administration gave up on it some time ago.
As of today, for example, her budget office could not say whether Keno, which is often played in social settings, would be available in restaurants/bars or administered solely be existing licensed Connecticut Lottery retailers such as the corner store or supermarket.
And last week when I asked the same question of Paul Young, head of the state’s Division of Special Revenue, which oversees the state’s lottery and gaming venues, he did not have an answer.
“I need more information … before I can answer that question,” Young said. “If the intent is to take an existing lottery agent and let them have Keno there’s not a great deal of extra work … If the intent is to go to a whole new area and start doing clubs and bars then that creates a lot of extra work for my licensing unit.”
If the guy who’s supposed to oversee Keno is in the dark months after Rell put it on the table, it’s probably not going anywhere. And if it is, it would be nice if someone would give Mr. Young a heads up.
