Oklahoma State Senate

For Immediate Release: October 7, 2005

Senator Jim Reynolds

Senator Reynolds: Governor Should Consider Asking
Lottery Commission Appointees to Resign

State Capitol, Oklahoma City – State Sen. Jim Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, said Friday that Gov. Brad Henry should consider asking his appointees to the Oklahoma Lottery Commission’s board to resign.

“We should start over with a new board that isn’t bent on taking advantage of Oklahoma’s poor in an effort to meet Gov. Henry’s lofty projections for lottery revenues,” Reynolds stated.

“The board already has three strikes against it after voting earlier this week to sell lottery tickets at payday loan shops, check-cashing stores, and pawn shops. These are three types of businesses that are patronized by needier Oklahomans, so the board’s intentions were obvious. I hope the governor sees this as ‘three strikes and they’re out’,” he said.

After bipartisan criticism of their decision, the board has decided to reconsider its decision.

“I don’t think the decision to prey on the poor came out of the blue sky. I’m sure the governor’s appointees to the Lottery Commission are under intense, outside pressure to find ways to pump up lottery revenues to meet Gov. Henry’s unrealistic $300 million-plus projections,” Reynolds said.

“I think it is important for us to know where that pressure is coming from. We also need a Lottery Commission board that will stand up to the pressure instead of targeting the poor in a quest for the ‘almighty’ lottery dollar,” stated Reynolds.

All the members of the Lottery Commission’s board were appointed by Gov. Henry.