State House moves legislation to Patrick’s desk

Legislators wrapped up the last formal session of the year by sending bills to Gov. Deval Patrick’s desk that legalize gambling and redistrict the state’s congressional districts.

After years of back-and-forth debate, both the House and the Senate legalized three resort-style casinos and one-slot parlors to be built in the Commonwealth.

Proponents have described the casinos, which are required to pay an $85 million licensing fee and a minimum capital investment of $500 million, as a boost for tax revenue and jobs in Massachusetts.

The House approved the gambling legislation with a 124-30 vote, while the Senate passed it in a voice vote.

Both chambers passed new Congressional district maps that establish the largest majority-minority district in the state’s history.  Fifty-six percent of the Boston-area district, which is currently held by U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, will be made up of voting-age minorities.

Slow population growth in Massachusetts compared to the rest of the country forced legislators to trim the number of U.S. Representatives from 10 to 9.

The new maps reshuffled the South Shore and Cape Cod areas, putting Rep. Stephen Lynch and Rep. Bill Keating against each other.

Freshman Democrat Keating is expected to move to the new incumbent-free district to avoid running against Lynch, a six-term Democrat.

The Senate passed the maps Wednesday afternoon in a 30-6 vote.  The House passed the redistricting plans Tuesday in a 122-29 vote.

Legislation expanding the number of liquor licenses chains can hold, formerly limited to three, to five in 2012, seven in 2016 and nine in 2020.

The legislation was a compromise aimed at avoiding a costly ballot initiative battle in 2012 between package stores and supermarkets.

After Wednesday’s session both the House and Senate will adjourn from formal sessions until January.