"It took two years, two misfires and lots of rough-and-tumble give-and-take, but the process that finally yielded a gambling pact between the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida was a healthy one.

The state Supreme Court overturned an original agreement in 2007, because Gov. Charlie Crist had exceeded his authority by failing to seek the Legislature’s approval.

Last year, a House committee torpedoed the second agreement because it allowed more expansion of gambling than lawmakers could accept.

The third time around, Crist made sure he had the legislators on board, and we’re all better off for it. One difference was that the state money has no strings attached; earlier, Crist wanted to earmark it for education. The cash-strapped state desperately needs the roughly $1.3 billion the deal guarantees over the next five years, including $435 million for this year’s budget."

Get the Story:
Tough path made gambling pact better: Editorial (The Fort Myers News-Press 4/21)

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