The ticking of the dwindling legislative clock is catching up to lawmakers trying to work on a compromise between the House and Senate versions of expanded gambling bills.
A conference committee met again Thursday to try to hammer out differences — mainly House Speaker Robert DeLeo’s push for slot machines at racetracks, and Gov. Deval Patrick and Senate President Therese Murray’s opposition to the one-armed bandits.
Sen. Steven Panagiotakos, a chief negotiator of the bills, echoed Patrick’s comments from earlier this week when Panagiotakos told the State House News Service on Thursday that the time for action is now, with two weeks left before the end of the legislative session.
Opponents are waiting for an end to the bill as well as people to pay more attention to its harmful effects, they said.
“The only thing I would consider a victory is for the bill to die in the session,” said Kathleen Conley Norbut, president of United to Stop Slots. She added that the bill is “rushed” and “flawed.”
