Governor Ted Strickland placed an executive order to allow Video Lottery Terminals to be installed in Ohio’s horse racing venues in order to relieve the state of an approximate $34 million short fall in the budget last week. This was done without putting it to a vote or going through the Ohio Senate. Many Ohioans are complaining bitterly about this and calling for a vote. Ohio finally has a two year $50.5 billion budget that was weeks overdue merely because of the gambling issue.
Ohio Senate President, Bill M. Harris was disappointed that he could convince Governor Strickland to put the Video Lottery Terminal issue on the ballot. He felt voters should be able to give their opinion on this issue. He commented that it would have probably passed if a vote would have been taken, but he fears the legal fees that may crop up because there was no vote. Opponents are already taking the issue to the Ohio Supreme Court and the state can’t take on fees that they may incur. Proponents to the Governor’s order to allow the machines say the budget would never have been passed without the extra revenue the machines would contribute to the budget.
Governor Strickland stated that they have consulted many different individuals concerning the Video Lottery Terminals. These include people from both parties, former lottery directors, and other consultants. He expects that he is on good legal ground and although he expects challenge he does not expect it to be successful.
Bill Harris is concerned that they expect to place about 2,500 VLT’s in each race track location and feels that that is a lot of terminals. He doesn’t expect it to bring in the anticipated revenue that is set forth in the budget. The Video Lottery Terminals are expected to bring in somewhere around $933 million and it is to benefit schools in Ohio.
A group called Let Ohio Vote has gone to the Ohio Supreme Court trying to stop the delay and obstruction of Governor Strickland’s executive order. They are circulating petitions in order to gather 241,000 signatures to place this issue up for vote. Voters have rejected 4 efforts to build Casinos in Ohio since 1990 and that included a slot machine issue in 2006. The Ohio Supreme Court accepted the case and attorneys have received the briefing schedule. Last week, Let Ohio Vote presented 3,000 signatures and language that would appear on the ballot should the issue go to a vote. Both the Ohio Secretary of State and Ohio Attorney General rejected the Let Ohio Vote’s filings.
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