Nonprofits urge committee to reject caps, revenue shift in gaming bills; commission chair calls for more study

Hundreds of nonprofit leaders and community organizations told the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday they oppose bills that would cap charitable-gaming payouts or divert historic horse racing revenue to the state’s Education Trust Fund.

"These funds are critical to the Webster House. They help us provide the highest level of care for our residents," Michelle O’Malley, chief executive officer of Webster House Children’s Home, said during public testimony opposing HB 531, a bill that would cap annual charitable-gaming distributions to any single charity.

Former state representative and former chair of the charitable gaming commission Pat Abrami, who led a year-and-a-half commission that produced 25 recommendations on gaming, told the panel the commission recommended further study of how charities are selected and how revenue is distributed. "The commission agreed that these issues needed further study," Abrami said, and he urged lawmakers to allow the newly created commission to complete that work before…