"Minnesotans may not yet know (we don't, at this writing) whether their state government is going to be fully operational or partially shuttered next weekend. But they know more than they did a few weeks ago about the priorities of the politicians entrusted to set the next state budget.

For example, in recent days, they saw how wedded leading Republicans are to ending the Indian monopoly on casino gambling by putting a state taxpaying casino at Canterbury Park in Shakopee.

Never mind that legislation authorizing a racino couldn't make it out of committee in either the House or the Senate during the regular session. Never mind that as recently as May 17, gubernatorial Chief of Staff Dan McElroy said that Gov. Tim Pawlenty had no interest in a gambling expansion bill that did not help the state's impoverished northern tribes."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Racino returns/Striving to spare the wealthy (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 6/28)