Ohio Slots
Ohio House tries innovative way to get slots approved.
From the Columbus Dispatch
Slots added to state budget
House OKs letting voters choose between machines or 1-cent hike in sales tax
Thursday, April 10, 2003
Lee Leonard
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
State representatives have set the stage for a full-scale debate on whether Ohio should establish slot machines at its seven horse racing tracks.
The House inserted the slot machine proposal into the $48.5 billion budget last night and then passed the two-year spending outlay on to the Senate.
As it stands, Ohio voters would decide in November whether to allow the slots at the tracks, raising an estimated $500 million a year.
If the proposal passed, a penny increase in the sales tax -- included in the budget -- would expire June 30, 2004. If the gambling issue failed, the extra penny would be kept for another year to fund the budget.
House Bill 95, the budget, was approved 53-46, with five black Democrats joining 48 Republicans in support. Fourteen Republicans voted "no,'' mainly because of the taxes.
Rep. Dan Stewart, D-Columbus, said the gambling proposal would create jobs at the racetracks and help unemployed electrical workers in his district.
But Rep. Linda J. Reidelbach, R-Worthington, said gambling is no way to fund government. "We keep hearing the cry that everybody else is doing it,'' she said. "I heard that same thing raising four teen-agers.''
Rep. Jim Raussen, R-Cincinnati, said two out of three cars at Indiana casinos are from Ohio. "Let's let our voters continue this debate,'' he said.
Rep. Edward S. Jerse, D-Euclid, said slot machines are "video crack'' that attract people who can't afford to lose money. He predicted gambling interests would influence Ohio politicians.
The extra penny on the 5 percent sales tax would raise an estimated $2.5 billion in two years and would be enhanced by extending the tax to a variety of services, including laundry and dry cleaning, storage and delivery, tanning and manicuring services.
Gov. Bob Taft will seriously consider vetoing the gambling proposal if it remains in the budget, said his spokesman, Orest Holubec. "The governor doesn't think it brings the budget into balance.''
Holubec said that although Taft opposes slots, he does not oppose a public vote on the matter. "But there is a mechanism for putting it on the ballot without putting it in the budget,'' Holubec said. That would be a joint resolution adopted by a three-fifths vote of both chambers -- the same majority lawmakers would need to override a Taft veto.
Last edited by JustRalph; 04-11-2003 at 01:22 AM.
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