MIAMI – The principal sponsors of the Destination Resort bill in the Legislature say they're willing to amend their bill to allow South Florida voters to say "yea" or "nay" to the mega-casino facilities.
"Legally, we know the Legislature can authorize casino resorts without a referendum," said state Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, sponsor of the House version of the bill. "But recognizing that some of our constituents have concerns over the size of the resorts, I would be amenable to an amendment calling for a referendum."
State Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, sponsor of an identical bill in the Florida Senate, said she would also be willing to amend the bill to let voters approve or reject the big resorts.
The bill authorizes two in Miami-Dade and one in Broward. Both lawmakers said they believe voters in both counties would approve the casinos.
A poll recently commissioned by the Genting Group, which hopes to build a massive resort and casino in Miami on Biscayne Bay, found that 57 percent of Miami-Dade voters have a "positive reaction" to a destination resort and casino, while 36 percent have a "negative reaction." The poll was conducted by Dario Moreno, an experienced pollster and professor at Florida International University.