The emails - exposed as part of an ongoing lawsuit - offer a rare glimpse of the reach that lobbyists enjoy in the state legislature and the close relationships that sometimes develop between lawmakers and special interests. “Attached is the proposed draft bill,” lawyer and lobbyist Mark Stewart replied within hours, adding that Parx executives were “still in the process of refining it and considering a couple additional concepts.” Where are we at with the draft language?” Tommy would like to introduce this bill sometime next week. “Good Morning Gents,” Ryan Skoczylas, Tomlison’s chief of staff, wrote in an April email with the subject line “Language” to lobbyists for Parx Casino, which is located in Tomlinson’s district.“Hope everyone had a great Easter Weekend. At the senator’s request, lobbyists and lawyers for Pennsylvania’s top-earning casino had drafted the bill, and the final text matched that version almost word-for-word.
What the public had no way of knowing is that the bill Tomlinson introduced that day was ghostwritten by the gaming industry. “These machines are essentially picking the pockets of our senior citizens,” Tomlinson said at the time, referencing lottery revenue that underwrites programs for older Pennsylvanians.
