Pa. House delays table games vote till Monday

Pennsylvania's state related universities, which includes Temple, will have to wait at least another week – before their share of state funding is released.

House Democratic leaders canceled today's vote on legalizing poker and blackjack tables. Without the approval of the games, which the state hopes will be a major revenue source, the state is withholding the higher education funds.

At the close of Wednesday's House session, Democratic leader Todd Eachus said the chamber would spend the next day debating and voting on a bill to legalize table games at Pennsylvania's casinos.

The Thursday session was canceled, though, and the House won't meet again until Monday.

That has Republicans angry. Bucks County Representative Katharine Watson says a vote  to fund state-related universities needs to happen soon.

Watson: Gambling has its own life to take, and table games. It is not related to students attending school. It really isn't. Gambling and higher education, in anyone's dictionary or thesaurus, they are not synonyms. They  have no direct, or even indirect relationship.

Watson and other Republicans insist there's enough money to fund the state-related schools without passing table games.

That would involve tapping into a $350 million surplus that's been set aside for next year's budget.

House Democratic leaders and Governor Rendell say they're not willing to do that.