HOUSE REPUBLICAN REQUEST FOR INDEPENDENT STUDY ON IGT /TWIN RIVER CONTRACT PROPOSALS APPROVED FOR FUNDING BY STATE

News

State House, Providence – The House Republican request for an independent study on the competing IGT / Twin River contract proposals has been approved to be funded by the State of Rhode Island via the Joint Committee on Legislative Services (JCLS) budget.  Invitations to submit proposals will go out early next week.

In a meeting yesterday between Republican Leader Blake Filippi and Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, it was determined that the counsel of a gaming industry expert is desirable in an effort to inform the General Assembly on this critical issue. The expert will provide detailed, fair and impartial scrutiny of Rhode Island gaming processes, and an analysis of the competing contract proposals.  

The House Republican Office developed a preliminary list of gaming consultants who will be invited to submit proposals. There is no timeline for the process at this juncture, but the parties agreed that the process should proceed expeditiously.  

“I wish to thank the Speaker for his support of our efforts to ensure that this deal is vetted properly - and also Representatives, and Finance Committee members, Price and Quattrocchi for their diligent work on this issue,” said Filippi. “The hours of opposing testimony, which included vastly different cost and revenue numbers, convinced the Republican Caucus that we require a neutral third-party expert to provide us with a thorough examination of these proposals — before we make a commitment which affects a third of our state revenues. To authorize a 20-year no-bid deal without this objective study is not in the best interest of Rhode Island taxpayers.”

“We also wish to thank Alan Hassenfeld for his generous offer to subsidize this study.  While we are funding this study through JCLS, his stated concerns about entering into any 20-year technology based contract were duly noted by all.  We deeply appreciate his willingness to provide legislators with thoughtful and objective information, and commend him for providing an alternate source of funding for this important review of an important state resource.”

The Rhode Island House of Representatives Minority Caucus (Republican) is comprised of the following elected members representing constituents who live in the following districts throughout the Ocean State:  Minority Leader, Blake Filippi, District 36 (Charlestown, South Kingstown, Westerly, New Shoreham); Minority Whip, Michael Chippendale, District 40 (Foster, Glocester, Coventry); Representative John Lyle, Jr., District 46 (Lincoln, Pawtucket); Representative George Nardone, District 28 (Coventry); Representative Brian Newberry, District 48 (North Smithfield, Burrillville);  Representative David Place, District 47 (Burrillville, Glocester); Senior Deputy Minority Leader Justin Price, District 39 (Exeter, Hopkinton, Richmond); Deputy Minority Leader Robert Quattrocchi, District 41 (Scituate, Cranston); Deputy Whip Sherry Roberts, District 29 (Coventry, West Greenwich).