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Citizens Concerned About Casino Gambling
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Father Gene McKenna 401 847 6153 |
| THURSDAY JUNE 7, 2007 | Burt Hoffman 401 846 3407 |
CCACG Opposes Attempt
To Usurp City's Authority
Citizens Concerned About Casino Gambling (CCACG) today described pending state legislation requested by the Procaccianti Group as "an arrogant attempt to usurp the jurisdiction of the city of Newport" and urged Newport County lawmakers and residents to join in opposiung it.
The Rev. Eugene McKenna, CCACG president, issued this statement after a meeting of the group's executive committee:
"House Bill 6490, introduced June 6 by State Representatives Henry C. Rose of East Providence and William San Bento Jr. of Pawtucket, is an arrogant: attempt to usurp the jurisdiction of the city of Newport by transferring control over a huge section of the city to the Procaccianti Group through the state division of lotteries.
"The bill would remove the Newport Grand gambling facility and any ancillary properties from city zoning regulations, thus allowing the Procaccianti Group, which seeks to purchase Newport Grand, to expand the facility in any way it saw fit and to control the development of adjacent properties it might acquire.
"This move to circumvent city jurisdiction is a transparently obvious effort to overcome years of opposition by Newporters to expanded gambling.
"Although the bill singles out Newport, its sponsors from East Providence and Pawtucket apparently have plans for the rest of the state. The provisions would apply to every community in Rhode Island with 'video lottery gaming and entertainment operations' and buildings 'on or adjacent to them' in order for them to be maintained like those 'operated elsewhere in the United States.'
"Because the sovereignty of every community in Rhode Island is threatened by this bill and the goal of the Procaccianti Group to transform Newport into Babylon and extend its schemes to the rest of the state, Newport County's voters and their elected officials must take the lead in opposing Procaccianti pernicious plans."
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