DiMasi backs out of speech to rally votes against casinos
By Matt Viser, Globe Staff
House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi was scheduled to give an address this morning to the League of Women Voters, a group that opposes casinos, but he backed out at the last minute to take care of several matters, including calling members to discourage them from voting for the governor's legislation.
DiMasi sent Representative Daniel Bosley, the House's chief casino critic, to give the speech in his place.
Bosley, a Democrat from North Adams who also co-chairs the committee that is voting today on the governor’s bill, would not make any predictions. Even if the casino plan survives the committee, Bosley said it would still die.
"We have the votes on the floor of the House," he said. "The governor was looking for a full and fair hearing, and he got his 13 hours yesterday. The burden of proof is kind of high, and I don't think the governor met it."
