On Holy Tuesday, long after Bishop Tom Shaw had testifed for CORI reform at the State House, the Rev. David Fredrickson of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Wareham testified before the Joint Committee on Emerging Technologies and Economic Development to oppose the governor’s bill to allow casino gambling in Massachusetts. Fredrickson helped lead a successful effort to pass a resolution opposing expansion of casino gambling at the Diocesan Convention Nov 2-3. The Massachusetts Council of Churches had waged a 2 ½ year campaign against the legislation.

Dozens of proponents and opponents packed Gardner Auditorium waiting up to 12 hours to make their case; Fredrickson testified at 10:30 p.m. The committee gave the bill an unfavorable recommendation and the House defeated it the next day by a vote of 108 to 46.

“Every church in our community is working hard to help those who are struggling and we are all more than happy to do what we can because that is what we are called to do. My greatest fear, however, is what the governor’s casino proposal or any other proposal to expand gambling in our Commonwealth will do to the sheer number of people looking for help,” Fredrickson told the committee.

“In the year 2006, the people of Wareham spent $26.5 million dollars on lottery products alone, many of those people looking for a way out of their economic woes, a way out that never materialized for nearly all of them.”

1. Resolution urging the defeat of any legislation allowing for the expansion of gambling in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Resolved, that the 222nd Convention of the Diocese of Massachusetts go on record in opposition to any further expansion of gambling in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts including any legislation that would legalize slot machines, casino style table games, or any other form of class three gambling.

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