A pair of bills to double the credit limit at Rhode Island’s two casinos cleared the State House Tuesday evening, but not without some confusion from lawmakers on what’s in the legislation — including from legislative leaders.
The House of Representatives voted 57-11 to pass an amended bill by Rep. Gregory Costantino, a Lincoln Democrat, and 55-11 to pass the identical bill sponsored by Sen. Frank Ciccone III, a Providence Democrat.
Ciccone’s bill was approved by the Senate on June 6.
Confusion on the House floor centered on a provision that would allow casino operator Bally’s Corp. to negotiate a new debt ratio with the state’s Division of Lottery and the Department of Business Regulation (DBR). Rep. Edith Ajello, a Providence Democrat, asked why that provision was not underlined in blue, as is standard practice to note new language to existing law.