On Tuesday, I posted about a rally I attended at the Massachusetts State House to protest a provision of Governor Patrick’s casino legislation that made playing poker online a felony punishable by up to $25,000 and/or two years in jail. I’m happy to report that the committee holding a hearing on the bill that day did not recommend it to the full Congress and that, when it did come to the floor, the bill was voted down.
Professor Charles Nesson of Harvard Law School, who has been trying to determine who or what interests are pushing this anti-internet gambling language, has it from Governor Patrick’s mouth that the source of this provision is Attorney General Coakley.
The Poker Players’ Alliance now has some links to news coverage of the rally and some pictures up on their site, including the one above, of the Poker Prison prop that I mentioned on Tuesday. Here’s a good group shot, I’m on the left towards the back in the black and white hat:
Someone should tell Coakley that it is not her job to create laws; it is her job to prosecute lawbreakers.