New Jersey Northern Casinos Amendment (2015)

Not on Ballot
This measure was not put on an election ballot

The New Jersey Northern Casinos Amendment was not on the November 3, 2015 ballot in New Jersey as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. The measure, upon voter approval, would have authorized the New Jersey Legislature to pass laws allowing the establishment and operation of not more than three casinos in three northern counties—Bergen, Essex or Hudson. All three of these counties are across the Hudson River from New York City. An unspecified portion of government revenue from taxes on the casinos would have been allocated to revitalizing Atlantic City. Another portion of the revenue would have helped fund services for the disabled and elderly.

The amendment would have not specified at what rate revenue from the proposed northern casinos would be taxed. Revenue from Atlantic City casinos were taxed at eight percent as of July 2015. Business interests backing potential casinos in north New Jersey have floated their own ideas, which range anywhere from a 13 percent to 55 percent tax on casino revenue. Lawmakers would have decided a rate if the amendment was approved.

The measure was introduced into the New Jersey Legislature by Rep. Ralph R. Caputo (D-28), Rep. Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-37) and Rep. Raj Mukherji (D-33) as ACR 300.

Rather than pitting legislators against each other along partisan lines, the amendment appeared to be dividing legislators along geographic lines, with southern state lawmakers in opposition to the northern state lawmakers supporting ACR 300. Atlantic City, once the East Coast's gambling hub, is in south New Jersey. The central concern of southern legislators was that northern casinos would, in the words of Rep. Chris Brown (R-2), "cannibalize" Atlantic City. Northerners, like Rep. Caputo, contended that Atlantic City had already "lost that base," and in order for the state to remain competitive in the regional gambling market, casinos needed to be expanded to elsewhere in the state. Across the river from New York City was a good bet, he contended.

Background

Proposed northern casinos

Business interests begun proposing sites for casinos in northern New Jersey.

The Meadowlands Racetrack, owned by Jeff Gural, and Hard Rock International, headed by Jim Allen, had unveiled plans for a casino named Hard Rock Casino Meadowlands. The casino would have been situated next to MetLife Stadium, which is the home stadium for two NFL teams, the New York Giants and New York Jets. Hard Rock Casino Meadowlands would have featured horse racing, table games and slot machines, as well as a music venue. Gural said he expected the project, once complete, to create more than 10,000 jobs and generate $400 million in annual revenue. He even suggested that legislators tax his casino's revenue at a rate of 55 percent.

Paul Fireman, a billionaire venture capitalist from Massachusetts, set his sights on the shoreline of the New York Harbor in Jersey City. His resort and casino complex would have cost about $4.6 billion, feature a 90-story hotel, 14 restaurants, a 107,500-seat motor sports stadium, a theater, the largest Ferris wheel in the world, multiple pools and a casino. The resort would have had its own ferry service to and from New York City. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop (D) said he is "excited" about the potential project, which he predicted would create "25,000 jobs and over $5 billion in investment."

Support

Supporters of ACR 300 contended the amendment was about saving New Jersey's economic prowess in the regional gambling market. According to Rep. Ralph Caputo (D-28), "We cannot sit idle any longer. We can’t bury our head in the sand anymore, because one day we’re going to look up and our gaming dollars will have flocked away to other states. This is not about taking business away from Atlantic City. This is about New Jersey missing out on the available markets in northern New Jersey and the surrounding region." Elsewhere, he elaborated, "The business has changed. To survive in anything, you have to adapt. If you don't adapt, you become extinct."

Gov. Christie (R) said he supported legalizing casino gambling in northern New Jersey. He also called for getting a measure on the ballot as soon as possible, saying, "I certainly would be supportive of getting this question done as quickly as we can, so we could move to expand it, if that's the will of the people. I think given the competition around us, it would be the right thing to do."

Supporters

Officials

The following officials sponsored ACR 300:

• Rep. Ralph R. Caputo (D-28)
• Rep. Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-37)
• Rep. Raj Mukherji (D-33)

Other officials supporting the amendment included:

• Gov. Chris Christie (R)
• Sen. Steve Sweeney (D-3)

Arguments

Rep. Raj Mukherji (D-33), a sponsor of ACR 300 from Hudson County, argued:

“	This bill is about keeping New Jersey's gaming industry relevant and viable, but it’s also about replenishing hundreds of millions in annual gross gaming revenues that we have lost to neighboring states in recent years. The economic growth that would come from first-class casinos in Bergen, Essex and Hudson would help the entire state. These counties have some of the most prized real estate in the Northeast, a talented labor pool and sit at the heart of major transportation corridors. We could use these assets and capitalize on the proximity of our three counties to entice patrons from New York City and surrounding areas.	”
—Rep. Raj Mukherji

Opposition

Opponents of ACR 300 framed the amendment as a David-versus-Goliath battle. Rep. Chris Brown (R-2), who represented Atlantic City, said, "I believe in the people of Atlantic County, and will continue fighting North Jersey casino special interests and political bosses for our future and the future of our children and grandchildren. Remember, through faith and determination, David beat Goliath." Brown shared his multimember district with Rep. Vince Mazzeo (D-2), who stated, "I will not support any attempt to amend our constitution to open casinos in the Meadowlands or Jersey City or anywhere outside Atlantic City, and I will definitely work against having such a question rushed through to beat a ballot deadline."

Opponents

• Rep. Vince Mazzeo (D-2)
• Rep. Chris Brown (R-2)
• Rep. Bob Andrzejczak (D-1)
• Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-1)

Arguments

Rep. Chris Brown (R-2) deemed the amendment:

“	... a blow to hard-working middle-class families in Atlantic County and throughout the state. It makes absolutely no sense to expand gaming outside Atlantic City when every expert and analyst will tell you the market is already oversaturated.	”
—Rep. Chris Brown

Rep. Bob Andrzejczak (D-1) and Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-1) issued a joint statement in strong opposition to the amendment:

“	Having casinos in South Jersey isn't just a 'nice thing.' It is a major part of our economy and directly contributes to tourism in Atlantic City and the surrounding region. The casinos and related businesses make up the core of our economy and allowing them in North Jersey would absolutely devastate the southern part of the state...Any proposal to allow casinos in northern New Jersey must be out of the question. Period.	”
—Rep. Bob Andrzejczak and Sen. Jeff Van Drew

Media editorial positions

Other

• NJ.com said that while "Casino gambling in northern New Jersey is inevitable," the state government should be cautious. The editorial stated, "Count us among the skeptics. This has to be done carefully. Taking another year would give Atlantic City more time, and improve the odds that it is done carefully. That makes more sense than rushing this through as a back room deal."

Polls

See also: Polls, 2015 ballot measures

A Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind Poll asked 913 New Jersey residents in June 2015 about their views on allowing gambling to expand beyond Atlantic City. A 56 percent majority said they opposed expansion.

New Jersey Northern Casinos Amendment (2015)
Poll	Support	Oppose	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind Poll 6/15/2015 - 6/21/2015	37.0%	56.0%	7.0%	+/-3.4	913
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the New Jersey Constitution

Proposed constitutional amendments have two ways of achieving ballot access in New Jersey. The New Jersey Legislature could either qualify it with supermajority approval of 60 percent in one legislative session or with simple majorities in two successive sessions.

ACR 300 would need to be approved by a supermajority vote in both chambers of the legislature by August 3, 2015, to make the 2015 general election ballot.

On July 14, 2015, Senate President Steve Sweeney said the amendment was dead, at least in 2015.

See also

Suggest a link

• New Jersey 2015 ballot measures
• 2015 ballot measures
• New Jersey Legislature