For Immediate
Release: May 5, 2004
Audio
Clip
Legislative Leaders Announce Plans For November
Vote on State-Tribal Gaming Act
Legislative leaders today announced plans
to seek a statewide vote on the State-Tribal Gaming Act
by introducing a new proposal that would repeal Senate Bill
553 and put the issue on the November General Election ballot.
Senate President Pro Tempore Cal
Hobson and House Speaker Larry
Adair said new language will be inserted in Senate Bill
1252. The amended bill will combine Senate Bill 553 and
provisions that had been slated for a trailer bill.
The biggest difference between SB 553 and SB 1252, however,
is that the latter will call for a November 2 vote on the
new statute.
“We want to get this to a vote of the people this
year and give the largest number of Oklahomans the opportunity
to be heard. Having this issue resolved in November will
ensure new funding for our public schools in the next fiscal
year,” said Hobson, D-Lexington.
“There appears to be strong public sentiment to send
this to a vote of the people and this is the only way to
guarantee that voters will see this issue on the November
ballot,” said Adair, D-Stilwell.
The Senate and House leaders said they hope Citizens for
Good Government, the group circulating a referendum petition
seeking a statewide vote on Senate Bill 553, will embrace
the proposal.
“This new approach gives them the statewide vote they
seek on the issue of gaming but allows them to avoid the
work and expense involved in circulating a petition, and
the cost of potential future legal challenges – like
those that delayed a statewide vote on cockfighting for
two years,” Hobson said.
Senate Bill 553 allows three of the state’s four horse
racing facilities to operate electronic gaming machines
like those in the dozens of tribal casinos across Oklahoma
and, through a compact with Native American tribes, allows
the state regulatory authority over the tribal casino operations.
The state would also receive tax revenue from both the racetrack
gaming facilities and the tribal casinos. Those tax revenues
are earmarked for common education and the Oklahoma Higher
Learning Access Program that provides college scholarships
to students from low and middle income families.
Proceeds from the gaming machines at the racetracks would
go to bolster purses in Oklahoma in an effort to save the
more than 50,000 jobs in the state’s horse racing
industry.
After passage of Senate Bill 553 by both houses of the Legislature,
it was signed by Governor Brad Henry March 8. Citizens for
Good Government announced plans in April to attempt to prevent
the bill from becoming law in August by a circulating a
referendum petition and sending the issue to a statewide
vote.
“The referendum process, however, can take months,
sometimes years, to complete. We can’t wait that long,”
Adair said
“The horse racing industry in Oklahoma needs help
now. Our schools need the money now. Everyone should support
letting Oklahomans decide this issue this year,” Hobson
said.
For
more information contact:
President Pro Tempore's Office -
(405) 521-5605
