FORT WAYNE, IND. (WOWO) Steuben County remains in the running for a potential casino as Indiana lawmakers continue revising House Bill 1038, legislation that would relocate casino licensing across the state. But recent changes to the bill remove the option for local referendums, leaving decisions la rgely in the hands of county commissioners.  Steuben County Commissioner Will Howard told Kayla Blakeslee on Fort Wayne’s Morning News. “It’s a very fluid situation, and we’ll continue to progress it and work to its end.” Howard said the bill, recently amended in committee, now opens bidding to any U.S. casino operator, moves up the application deadline, excludes Marion and Wayne counties, and keeps Allen, DeKalb, and Steuben counties in play. While the removal of a referendum option has raised concerns about voter input, Howard said a local vote is still possible. “As far as the referendum goes, it takes that language out of the bill, but it doesn’t mean that locally you still cannot have one. I would anticipate that Steuben County would still continue with that process,” he said. To keep residents informed, Howard pointed to a recently launched website, steubenfunwins.com, created by a working group that includes county commissioners, Steuben County Tourism, economic development officials, and local business owners. “It’s just to try and get accurate information. There’s a lot of rumors floating around, a lot of misinformation, and we’ll continue to update that as we gain information,” he said. Howard emphasized the need for public engagement, noting the county has already held one public meeting and plans to hold more. “We certainly welcome all comments and questions and concerns,” he said, noting the site also helps filter out unconstructive commentary while still allowing community feedback. When asked about possible casino locations, Howard said discussions with operators are just beginning. “The target area that seems to have the most interest is just that traffic count at Interstate 69 and 80-90, the toll road. But that end location would be up to the potential operator and the gaming commission,” he said, referring to the area near the Fremont outlets. Howard acknowledged both the potential benefits and drawbacks of a casino in Steuben County. “The biggest pros obviously are the economic impact. They’re going to bring jobs to the community. It will put Northeast Indiana and Steuben County on the map as a regional area of attraction,” he said. On the cons, Howard highlighted concerns over gambling addiction but said research from other counties shows many of the associated issues are limited. “A lot of those things that come associated with casinos just really don’t happen in terms of our research that we found. But you’re always cognizant of that and want to mitigate any of those risks as best we can,” he said. Looking ahead, Howard outlined next steps if the legislation passes before the end of the legislative session on Friday. “The next steps actually would be to continue to gather information and provide it as best we can to the public, get that referendum on the ballot hopefully in November, and we’ll see where it goes from there,” he said. Howard’s comments underscore the evolving nature of HB 1038 and the careful balancing act local leaders face in representing their communities while navigating state-level changes. “You’re welcome to call me anytime,” Howard concluded. “I love it.” This story will continue to develop as the Indiana General Assembly moves closer to its session deadline. The post WOWO EXCLUSIVE – Steuben Co Commissioner Will Howard talks Casino with KB appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less