Ten members of the General Assembly’s eastern Connecticut delegation have signed a letter urging their colleagues to support the bill that would enable the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes to operate up to three satellite casinos in Connecticut to fend off out-of-state competition.

The legislation would give the tribes “the ability to keep jobs and businesses here in our state,” the letter says.

Dated Tuesday, the letter bears the signatures of Republican Sen. Paul Formica of East Lyme and nine Democrats: Sens. Cathy Osten of Sprague and Andy Maynard of Stonington and Reps. Ernest Hewett of New London, Kevin Ryan of Montville, Diana Urban of North Stonington, Paul Brycki of Griswold, Emmett Riley of Norwich, Linda Orange of Colchester and Susan Johnson of Windham.

The letter describes the tribes as "strong and steady business partners to the state of Connecticut" and "integral and generous members of our communities."

Osten, an early advocate of the bill, said delegation members believed the time had come to urge their colleagues to get behind it.

“It’s not an unusual event for a delegation to start sending letters requesting support,” she said.

A number of Republican legislators from eastern Connecticut did not sign the letter, including Reps. John Scott and Aundre Bumgardner of Groton, Mike France of Ledyard and Kathleen McCarty of Waterford.

Democratic Rep. Ed Jutila of East Lyme said he chose not to sign the letter because he had yet to receive information he requested on the number of southeastern Connecticut jobs at risk at Foxwoods Resorts Casino and Mohegan Sun.

“We had a meeting up here with representatives from the casinos, and they had their economist, and I didn’t hear any data on what the impact would be specifically for southeastern Connecticut jobs in either scenario — either doing nothing or we pass the bill and they build the satellites. I was trying to understand how jobs from southeastern Connecticut would migrate to the satellites. Is that a different number than if we do nothing?”

“I’m not against it,” Jutila said of the bill, “I’d just like to base my decision on all the available information. I’ve asked for some and haven’t gotten it.”

Formica said the casinos provide some 2,000 jobs in his district alone and that the legislature has an opportunity to help salvage them.

If other industries were in danger of losing jobs in such numbers, “people would be supporting the saving of those jobs,” he said. “Gambling’s not a panacea for our economy, but it can be a small piece. … Satellite locations make sense to me.”

The bill, endorsed by two legislative committees, is expected to soon be put to a Senate vote.

b.hallenbeck@theday.com

Twitter: @bjhallenbeck