FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Babette Josephs D-Philadelphia www.babette.org

Committee reports out bill that would ensure

all public land issuances are conveyed by General Assembly

Sugarhouse Casino would be impacted

HARRISBURG, Sept. 23 – A bill that would prevent the Sugarhouse Casino to be built on the Delaware riverfront has cleared the House State Government Committee and has been sent to the full House for consideration.

The bill (H.B. 2775), introduced by Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Phila., would revoke the submerged land license issued to HSP Gaming Inc., which has plans to build the Sugarhouse Casino at the site of the former Jack Frost Refinery.

"The 1907 law under which HSP Gaming sought the submerged land license was only intended to give Philadelphia the power to expand port facilities at the turn of the century for water-borne commerce, not to give away land for casinos or any other business," Josephs said. "This bill would reassert the Commonwealth's rights over the land within the Delaware riverbed and repeal the portion of the law that was meant for port expansion.

"While my bill may prevent Sugarhouse from locating along the waterfront, it is about more than casinos. Sugarhouse should have to obtain approval from the state as every entity should. This 1907 law, as decided by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, dramatically curtails the ability of the legislature to exclusively control the use and disposition of public lands along the Philadelphia waterfront. We no longer have the sole authority to control the use of these lands for the benefit of the public."

Josephs said until the court's decision, it had been a longstanding procedure to obtain approval for the use of public land through the General Assembly.

"This has put our ability to be the gatekeepers for the property of the citizens of the Commonwealth in great jeopardy and my bill would return that responsibility to the General Assembly," she said.

The bill was reported out of the House State Government Committee unanimously, and has been re-committed to the House Appropriations Committee. Josephs, chairwoman of the House State Government Committee, has sent a letter to the Appropriations chairman asking for the bill to be reported out of that committee, as well, so the full House can vote on the bill.

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