New Jersey could push for another legislation

After the state-wide ballot got rejected on Tuesday, proponents of the measure could push for another legislation.

US.- Public Question 1, formally known as the New Jersey Allowance For Casinos In Two Additional Counties Amendment, got defeated after New Jersey voters rejected the proposal to expand casino gambling facilities to the northern side of the state, outside Atlantic City. The ballot question failed by more than 1.5 million votes, and now they’re considering a new legislation more specific than the one that got rejected.

Paul Sarlo, New Jersey State Senator, said that they’re planning on replacing the original plan of two casinos in the north of New Brunswick to a one casino located in East Rutherford, at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The Senator believes that this change could be more appealing to the voters, and confirmed that the ballot question could be released in November 2018.

If passed, the casino would create thousand of permanent jobs, along with temporary construction jobs. Sarlo said:  “In the early stages, there were stakeholders interested in a possible casino in Middlesex County and Sussex County as well as Newark, Jersey City and the Meadowlands Sports Complex. I think that frankly we scared off voters with a fear of the unknown of where the casinos would go. It’s the “not in my backyard” syndrome. It’s too early to tell if we should go back to the voters in two years but I wouldn’t necessarily be opposed to it.”

New Jersey General Assembly member Ralph Caputo said that the ball that got rejected lacked of transparency and information about tax rate and projects.