Anne Hughes, D-Easton, the chair of the progressive caucus, told colleagues during the relatively brief debate that concern over the efficacy of safeguards against problem gambling was a reason for her opposition.
Al Paolillo Jr., D-New Haven, said, “I think there was a clear feeling on all sides that this was the year.” And I think that’s ultimately what happened,” Horn said before the debate. There were a lot of people who were thinking about some idealized transaction before, who now were ready to sit down together in a room and craft a deal. Horn said the pandemic and the threat to the economic stability of the casinos - both tribes carry enormous debt, and the Pequots have struggled to meet even their restructured obligations - simplified what had been a complex issue.
