New Jersey passes casino bill

A panel from the Garden State approved a bill that allows casinos to state open during state shutdown.

US.- A state Senate committee from New Jersey approved a measure that would allow casinos in Atlantic City to remain open through a state government shutdown. The initiative also includes racetracks in the state.

As reported by local media, an identical bill has been introduced in the assembly even though a committee hearing hasn’t been scheduled. The state law determined that casinos can keep their doors open for seven days even if the government shuts down. The limit had been imposed in a measure passed in 2008 after a state closure.

Sponsor of the bill, Senator Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, said: “The casinos are private businesses and we want them to continue to operate successfully – even if there is a government shutdown. When a private business like a casino closes it is not just a public policy issue, it affects the ability of people to support themselves and their families, to put food on the table and to pay their mortgage or their rent.”