LAPORTE — The LaPorte County Board of Commissioners has hired a lobbying firm as part of an effort to block any Indiana legislative attempt to further reduce taxes paid by riverboats to local government.
Lewis & Kappes, an Indianapolis law firm, will lobby on LaPorte County’s behalf in the Indiana General Assembly, although county officials said so far in this legislative session no bills to cut taxes casinos pay have been offered.
However, going into the current General Assembly session there was speculation that legislation could be introduced that would help Indiana’s riverboats compete with the expansion of gambling in neighboring states, which has cut into the Indiana casino revenue. A spokesman for Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City said his casino pays higher taxes than its competition.
‘‘There’s discussion and that’s what the commissioners are so concerned about,’’ LaPorte County attorney Shaw Friedman said.
Friedman said he wouldn’t be surprised if supporters of a tax cut waited until late in this year’s session to include it with some other piece of legislation to increase prospects of having it approved.
LaPorte County officials want their lobbyists to keep close watch on the session in order to detect and successfully fight any tax cut measures for the gambling industry that might surface.
“There are riverboat company lobbyists crawling all over the Statehouse looking for relief, looking for tax breaks for the companies they represent,” Friedman said.
Hiring a lobbyist is the latest measure taken by LaPorte County to increase its voice at the Statehouse..
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