Atlantic City Casino Tax-Break Bill Advances
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A version of a tax break for Atlantic City casinos was advanced by a 9-2 vote in a state Assembly committee on Monday. The Assembly version is less generous than a Senate proposal that moved forward a week earlier. Both bills are expected to face a full vote next week.
Sue Altman, executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, is against the Atlantic City casinos paying less than their fair share in taxes. The bill received "No" votes from Assembly lawmakers Antwan McLellan and Kevin Rooney, while Jay Webber voted "Yes". The outgoing state Senate President Stephen Sweeney raised eyebrows last week when he declared that without the tax relief proposed in the bills, four of Atlantic city's nine casinos might be forced to close.
Atlantic County suffered a lot when four casinos closed in 2014 and a fifth did so in 2016. Tens of thousands of jobs were lost and the county often led the nation in home foreclosure rates. Bob McDevitt, president of Local 54 of the Unite Here union, represents the majority of casino workers.
