{"id":99225,"date":"2019-02-26T06:32:48","date_gmt":"2019-02-26T14:32:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=99225"},"modified":"2019-02-26T06:32:48","modified_gmt":"2019-02-26T14:32:48","slug":"south-dakotas-yankton-casino-legislation-is-dead-wood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/south-dakotas-yankton-casino-legislation-is-dead-wood\/","title":{"rendered":"South Dakota\u2019s Yankton Casino Bill is Dead Wood, Signature-Gathering Only Hope for Ballot"},"content":{"rendered":"

The South Dakota Senate on Monday torpedoed a legislative push to break Deadwood\u2019s commercial casino monopoly in the state and authorize a casino in Yankton<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Yankton
Bernie Hunhoff, CEO of Yankton Area Progressive Growth, says his group is currently considering whether to begin circulating petitions in an effort to gather signatures for the ballot. (Image YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bill SJR5 would have established a statewide referendum on a proposed constitutional amendment to allow the licensing of a casino in the city of 23,000 on the southern border with Nebraska. It was defeated 22-13 by a vote on the Senate floor.<\/p>\n

The bill may be dead in the water, but there\u2019s still hope for the casino\u2019s proponents, who could launch a signature-gathering campaign to force the issue onto the ballot. Their proposal is that the license would be held by a non-profit entity selected by Yankton City Commission, which would lease the casino to a private company to operate — a model that has worked effectively in neighboring Iowa.<\/p>\n

Proponents of the project — working title \u201cPort Yankton\u201d — believe it would bring a much-needed economic shot in the arm to the city, while at the same time contributing millions of dollars to the state.<\/p>\n

Legislature Passed the Buck<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bernie Hunhoff, CEO of Yankton Area Progressive Growth (YAPG), which is lobbying for the casino, told Yankton radio station KYNT that his group is now mulling a signature-gathering campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure our committee will have to get together and decide, to try and figure out what exactly did happen in [the state capital] Pierre and what the message is,\u201d said Hunhoff, himself a former state lawmaker. \u201cAnd then we\u2019ll make the decision on whether or not to go to petitions, which I think has always been the main route you would [like to] get something on the ballot.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was just an easy vote for the legislature to say, \u2018Yeah, I like what you\u2019re doing, but why don\u2019t you just go get signatures?\u2019\u201d he added. \u201cIn fact, that\u2019s what some of the lobbyists who were against us were suggesting: \u2018If Yankton wants to do it, fine, but just make them go get signatures.\u2019\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sports Betting Still Alive<\/strong><\/h2>\n

South Dakota voters may well be receptive to the idea of the new casino, just as they were in 1988 when they authorized gaming in Deadwood — a decision that was transformative for the city.<\/p>\n

If YAPG does go down that route, it will have to collect unique signatures from around 17,000 registered voters by November– which is equal to five percent of the total vote governor received at the last gubernatorial election — in order to get on the 2020 ballot.<\/p>\n

The legislature is currently mulling whether to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would legalize sports betting<\/a> in Deadwood casinos. The amendment was passed by the Senate earlier this month and is currently with the House for consideration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The South Dakota Senate on Monday torpedoed a legislative push to break Deadwood\u2019s commercial casino monopoly in the state and authorize a casino in Yankton. Bill SJR5 would have established a statewide referendum on a proposed constitutional amendment to allow the licensing of a casino in the city of 23,000 on the southern border with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":99228,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,18,61],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSouth Dakota\u2019s Yankton Casino Legislation is Dead Wood<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"South Dakota Yankton casino bill voted down by the Senate. 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