by KYW's Tony Romeo

One of Philadelphia’s most powerful state lawmakers says he’s now on board with the effort to get the city’s two casinos to relocate from their chosen waterfront sites.

Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee chairman Dwight Evans (in file photo above) has joined with state senator Vincent Fumo, sending a letter to Mayor Nutter and Governor Rendell, asking the two executives to set up a meeting with licensees to discuss relocation.

Evans says he’s doesn’t want the casinos to get the message that they’re not wanted in Philadelphia. But, he says, some mistakes were made:

“We are now trying to correct the mistakes.”

Gov. Rendell says he discussed alternate locations with the licensees six months ago, and says he’s willing to meet with the licensees again:

“We’re going to going to over this, but I want to stress -– so nobody gets too excited here -– that it has to be voluntary. They have to agree to re-site.”

Following his new alliance with Evans, Fumo has dropped a casino-related amendment that would have held up legislation to renew and expand the state’s Keystone Opportunity Zone program, which offers tax breaks to develop land in distressed areas.