As expected, Rep. Trent Van Haaften, D-Mount Vernon, and author of House Bill 1835 allowing slots machines at horse racetracks, dissented Monday from the Senate amendments that passed last week. That means a conference committee awaits to iron out the differences.

According to Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, the House and Senate will draw up their conference committee members with Van Haaften serving as conference chairman.

The committees aren’t due to begin their deliberations until April 12, according to Lanane.

Once formed, the committee will schedule a meeting, which, Lanane said, can be done quickly. The schedule, for example, could be announced April 12 and the committee could meet that day, said Lanane.

The four committee members, two senators from each party and two representatives form each party, work through their differences and issue a report of their recommendations. The bill then goes back to the full House and Senate for a vote. It must pass with 51 House votes and 26 Senate votes.

Lanane said there was a possibility, though it doesn’t happen often, that the Senate or House could reject the report, which would send it back to the committee to be reworked.

Should the bill pass both houses, it would go to Gov. Mitch Daniels to be signed into law or vetoed.

The General Assembly session ends April 29.