Stacy Garrity stands with skill game operators at rally in Pittsburgh area

Pennsylvania treasurer and Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity stood with skill game operators at a rally in Green Tree Borough on Saturday.

The skill game operators — many of whom own bars, gas stations and convenience stores — told KDKA-TV they've suffered from how the machines are now banned in the state, the result of a court ruling that state legislators failed to follow with legislation that would have allowed them to stick around. 

"I have employees crying to me, and it makes me emotional," said Kish Patel, the owner of 20 gas stations and convenience stores in western Pennsylvania. "I love these people. These people are my family."

He said that as a result of the skill games ban, employees will have to be laid off. He said the machines generated hundreds of thousands of dollars for his businesses.

Jay Barto, the owner of two local bars, took it a step further, saying depending on how the next few weeks go, he could have to close up entirely and retire, leaving his employees without jobs. 

"I hate the idea that we're being put into this position. I don't understand why," Barto said. 

Garrity told the crowd that Gov. Josh Shapiro doesn't care about them. 

"He sold you out," she said. "He had years to get this fixed."

During his Nexstar TV debate against Garrity, which took place before the ban went into effect, Shapiro said he's been consistent on the issue for years. 

"I've urged lawmakers to pass my legislation, which would allow roughly 45,000 of these machines to be regulated," Shapiro said during the debate. 

Shapiro would like to see the tax rate set at 52%, consistent, he said, with other gaming, so it would not advantage one type of gaming over another. Garrity said that's too high.

"I'm backing a flat rate: 50,000 machines, $500 per month. That brings in $300 million in revenue to the commonwealth," Garrity told KDKA-TV on Saturday.

It's the same plan backed by some state Senate Republicans.

"The House of Representatives has supported my plan. The Senate of Pennsylvania, led by Republicans, has refused to bring it up," Shapiro said during the debate. "Lawmakers need to come back to Harrisburg. They need to stop campaigning and start focusing on their work, and they need to get this bill to my desk."

It highlights the frequent gridlock Harrisburg has seen. Garrity told KDKA-TV that bridging the state's political divide requires leadership. 

"A real leader doesn't sit back and say, 'I'm waiting for a bill to come to my desk' when they know the deadline is in a week and that's what Josh Shapiro said at the debate," Garrity said. "A real leader rolls up their sleeves, they solve issues, and they get the stakeholders around the table."

Garrity added Shapiro uses the divided legislature as an excuse for inaction and explained how she'd bring both sides together. 

"I'd do it exactly like I do it now. At Treasury, half my staff are Ds, half my staff are Rs. And you know what, we've broken every single record at Treasury," she said. 

KDKA-TV reached out to the Shapiro campaign on Saturday but did not hear back.