New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced on Friday that the vote to renew the Seneca Nation’s gaming compact would not proceed next week.
The announcement follows a week of intense debate sparked by Rochester-area lawmakers and labor unions, expressing concerns about the potential impact of a new casino in the region on local jobs and the unionized commercial casino in the nearby Finger Lakes area.
Although the state Senate approved the renewal legislation earlier this month, Rochester-area Democrats voiced dissatisfaction with being kept in the dark about the compact’s details, negotiated by members of Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration.
Governor Hochul has recused herself from the negotiations due to her husband’s executive role at Delaware North, a company linked to Seneca Nation’s casino competitors.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].