* We talked about Speaker Madigan’s proposed gaming expansion bill yesterday. Today, let’s look at some caveats. First up, is a final deal likely soon? Maybe, maybe not…

State Sen. Christine Radogno, a Lemont Republican who has been a negotiator at the legislative talks, said she would not “characterize today’s development as putting us on the eve of a deal” for the remaining issues. A resolution to all the issues could occur in January, she said.

January is surely a possibility. Our woes continue.

* State Sen. Terry Link, a big expansion proponent, also had some doubts…

…Link said his concerns start with a provision that would give 2 percent of gross revenue to the host community and 3 percent to the host county. Previously, those numbers were 5 percent to the city and 1 percent to the county.

“I’ve got a little bit of a problem with that,” Link said. “Waukegan has to put in all the infrastructure (but) the county gets more revenue? That makes no sense. This is not a done deal by any means.”

Link added said he’s “not a proponent of slots at the tracks,” because “what we do there is basically set up five more land-based casinos.”

He also predicted that provisions about minority and women investors “will be a big stumbling block” because it allows for individual investments in what would be a multimillion-dollar bidding process.

* And what about that minority investment issue? The Tribune has more…

Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago), who pushed his own massive gambling expansion through his chamber earlier this year, was noncommittal. But his spokeswoman later directed reporters to state Sen. Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago), who predicted the Madigan-backed plan would be “DOA” and never come up for a Senate vote.

Hendon said his biggest problem is the “crumbs” it throws to the minority business community. Minorities would get to own 20 percent of each of the two new non-Chicago casinos, and women would get to own 5 percent, with would-be investors going into a lottery system.

“The speaker has made his mind up that any black with wealth should have no opportunity to participate, but he is not saying that to white people,” Hendon said. “That is called discrimination. That is called Jim Crow. I know people don’t want to talk about race these days, but we are not going to run away from it.” […]

Rep. Marlow Colvin, a Chicago lawmaker who is co-chairman of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, also is opposed to Madigan’s set-aside plan.

“You can go into any Charles Schwab office in the country and get the same kind of return on a $5,000 investment,” said Colvin, who didn’t rule out voting for Madigan’s gambling package. “You don’t need a riverboat to do that.”

Jones often prefers to stay above the fray and allow Hendon to speak for him, so directing reporters to Hendon was telling.

* And then there’s this…

The House hopes to vote on the gambling expansion plan and mass transit aid early next week, but a construction projects bill may not be ready then, [Madigan’s spokesman Steve Brown] said.

Without a capital bill, the vote on the transit plan could turn out the same as before, which means no progress.

* More gaming stories…

* Madigan makes gambling proposal

* Madigan pitches gambling plan to fix cash woes

* House Dems push gaming bill

* Madigan backs three new casinos

* Gambling plan could put slots at Fairmount, boost casinos

* Gaming plan includes Chicago casino

* State legislators propose Chicago casino, slots at Arlington Park

* Bethany Jaeger: The chips may fall, but…

* Critics say gaming expansion has huge social costs

Discuss.