The Zoning Battle Continues!

ZONING CONTROL FOR two local casinos has been a high-stakes game of political ping-pong paddled between Harrisburg powerhouses for more than two years.
As the game wears on, long and lofty serves are supplanted by short and vicious strokes.
Last month, the state Senate served up the issue again by passing a gambling reform bill and sending it to the state House.
House Speaker John Perzel last week returned that serve to the Senate with serious political backspin. State Sen. Vince Fumo quickly slapped back, leaving the ball in Perzel's court again today.
Here's a game breakdown:
PING - Fumo started the volley more than two years ago when his office crafted language for the original gambling law that took away local zoning control for 14 casino licenses statewide, including two in Philadelphia. Gov. Rendell was, and still is, concerned that local zoning boards could stall the opening of casinos.
PONG - That law was approved by the Senate and House and signed into law by Rendell in July 2004. But five months later, Rendell vetoed new legislation that would have allowed local appeals on casino zoning.
PING - The state Supreme Court swatted the original slots law back to the General Assembly in 2005, ruling that pre-emption of local zoning was unconstitutional.
PONG - "Gambling reform" quickly became a hot political issue as legislators in both houses crafted a myriad of bills to reshape the original law. Senate Bill 862 emerged last November as the leading candidate but did not address the zoning issue.
PING - Perzel in February had that legislation amended to put zoning control for Philadelphia's casinos in the hands of the state Gaming Control Board. Perzel said federal investigations of City Hall convinced him the city was too corrupt to handle the zoning. Sixteen state representatives from Philadelphia supported Perzel's measure while nine opposed it. Rendell said he wanted zoning pre-emption for casinos statewide, not just in Philadelphia.
PONG - Local community groups, including some that were initially slow to react to the possibility of casinos next door, seized the zoning issue as a rallying cry. They make that part of their protests, asking for e-mails to state representatives, calling for retention of zoning power. The bill has also been used as a political weapon. Allies of electricians union chief John Dougherty decried Fumo's role in the zoning pre-emption while not mentioning that it all started with Perzel.
PING- The Senate re-approved the reform bill in September, keeping the provision that takes zoning decisions away from Philadelphia, while adding several other measures, including a streamlining of how the state sells water rights. Four of the five applicants for two city casino licenses are located on the Delaware riverfront.
PONG - The House last week stripped out much of the language added by the Senate. One staffer jokingly said the bill had been "Fumo-gated." The Philadelphia delegation in the House, perhaps now aware of community opposition, voted 16-7 against the measure, which was sent back to the Senate.
PING - Fumo quickly responded, saying he had heard the cries of the community groups and would abandon the call to pre-empt local zoning when the Senate sends the bill back to the House today. Fumo plans to restore language making it easier to claim state water rights. This move puts the ball back into the House, where Perzel, a fan of pre-empting local zoning control, will make his next move with local community groups watching.
PONG?- Will the House change the wording of the bill yet again and return it to the Senate or pass it as currently written?