That seems to contradict a 2018 constitutional amendment, approved by nearly 72% of the voters, requiring a public referendum on any expansion of gambling in Florida. Simply put, if this ain’t gambling expansion, grits ain’t groceries.
But as we’ve seen with other constitutional mandates put on the ballot by petition campaigns like restoring felons’ voting rights, ending partisan gerrymandering of political districts, acquiring environmentally sensitive lands and even legalization of medicinal marijuana our legislators treat popular mandates like speed bumps.
If they can’t be swerved around, they can be run over.
And with this kind of money in the pot, legislators aren’t going to let a little thing like the Constitution slow them down. DeSantis and other proponents of the compact know it will wind up in court where, as usual, the taxpayers will pay some very high hourly rates for lawyers fighting to thwart the will of the citizens.