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11/16/2006: 2006 Summary of Ballot Results on Gambling Issues
Arizona – Voter-Lottery Prop 200 – FAILED (Victory for families)
Arkansas – Charitable bingo – APPROVED (Loss for families)
Nebraska – Video Keno – FAILED (Victory)
Ohio – Racino / Casino Expansion – FAILED (Victory)
Rhode Island – Harrah’s-Tribal Casino – FAILED (Victory)
South Dakota – Repeal video lottery – FAILED (Loss)
Additional Gambling Issues:
Alaska – Cruise ship gambling tax* – APPROVED (Victory)
Clark County, IN –Gambling expansion – APPROVED (Loss)
*Laws to tax Alaskan cruise gambling were approved prior to elections and will go into effect December 17, 2006.
OVERALL PRO-FAMILY SCORE:
· FIVE WINS (Three very large wins with OH, NE and RI)
· THREE LOSSES
2006 Election Details
Alaska
Read Full Article
[Gershon Cohen, "Cruise Ships: Follow In Alaska's Wake," Seattle Post-Intelligencer online, 31 October 2006.]
“… Cruise lines will now pay income taxes to Alaska on all Alaska-based revenue, including gambling receipts. They’ve been making a fortune for decades registering their ships in foreign ports to circumvent federal taxes (while paying Third World wages for servicing first-class clientele). Carnival’s profits in 2005 totaled $2.3 billion on which it paid $73 million in income taxes, a rate of 3 percent….”
Arizona
Read Full Article ["News Elsewhere: Propositions At A Glance," Arizona Daily Star online, 8 October 2006.]
“Proposition 200: FAILED
Voter Reward Act would have entered the name of each person who votes in a statewide primary or general election in a lottery to win $1 million. The money would have come from unclaimed lottery prizes….”
Arkansas
Read Full Article [Associated Press, " Beebe Wins Arkansas Governor’s Race As Democrats Sweep," Commercial Appeal online, 7 November 2006.]
“… Reps. Marion Berry and Mike Ross, both D-Ark., easily won re-election to Congress, and voters approved — by a 2-to-1 margin — charitable bingo and a $250 million bond package for colleges and universities….”
Nebraska
Read Full Article [Associated Press, "Nebraskans Say ‘No' To Spending Lid," Fremont Tribune online, 8 November 2006.]
“… A ballot measure to authorize video keno also failed, while an attempt to restore elementary-only - or Class I - school districts was succeeding.
“… A group of keno parlor operators circulated the keno petition, which appeared on the ballot as Measure 421. With 71 percent of precincts reporting, 61 percent of voters opposed the measure.
“The lie about these being video keno player stations was a myth,” said Pat Loontjer, executive director of Gambling with the Good Life. “They were slot machines from the word go.
“Loontjer said churches played a key roll in getting the group’s anti-gambling message out….”
Ohio
Read Full Article [Stephanie Irwin, Laura Bischoff, "Ohio Voters Say No To Gambling, Smoking," Oxford Press online (Cox News Service), 8 November 2006.]
“… Voters appeared to be shooting down Issue 3, with 58 percent voting “no.” Ohioans have been suspicious of gambling proposals, and rejected casino issues in 1990 and 1996 by three to two margins. Ohio’s seven race track owners and two developers in Cleveland bet $25 million of their own money that they could convince voters to approve slot machine gambling if it was packaged with the promise of college scholarships in Issue 3….”
Rhode Island
Read Full Article ["Harrah's loses Rhode Island casino bid," Reuters online, 8 November 2006.]
“NEW YORK, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Rhode Island voters rejected a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that would have allowed the Narragansett Indian Tribe and Las Vegas-based gambling company Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. to build a casino in West Warwick….
“Republican governor Gov. Donald Carcieri had expressed concerns that the new casino would draw business away from Rhode Island’s two gaming facilities, Newport Grand and Lincoln Park, which pay the state 60 percent of their gaming income.…”
South Dakota
Read Full Article [Bob Ellis, "Pro-Family Election Results a Mixed Bag in South Dakota," Dakota Voice online, 8 November 2006.]
“… Initiated Measure 7, the video lottery repeal, also met defeat, with 67% of the voters rejecting it. Supporters of the repeal had argued that not only is the social cost of video lottery too high, but that the $112 million in revenue the state receives from video lottery could be replaced without substantial loss of services. Voters appeared to disagree, however….”
Indiana (county-only vote)
Read Full Article [Associated Press, "Clark County OKs Gambling," The New-Sentinel online, 8 November 2006.]
“Clark County voters approved legalized gambling by a wide margin, reversing a decision of a decade ago…. However, approval does not mean the county that borders the Ohio River will get a casino. One of the existing 11 riverboats would have to move from another location or the state Legislature would have to authorize a 12th license….”
Chad Hills 2006 (Focus on the Family) Citizen Link
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ALASKA
An Act Providing For Taxation Of Certain Commercial Ship Vessels (Cruise Ship Ballot Initiative or Ballot Measure 2)
Initiative Objective: To levy an excise tax on overnight accommodations on commercial passenger vessels; to impose a tax on gambling activities* aboard large commercial vessels; and to impose new standards for the discharge of waste water from large commercial passenger vessels.
Sponsor: Responsible Cruising in Alaska
Status: On ballot
Full Text: 03CTAX
More information. http://www.responsiblecruising.org
*The Cruise Ship Ballot Initiative will require cruise ships to pay the same percentage of gambling profits (33%) to the State for charities and taxes as required of all other gambling industries. The cruise industry is alone in paying no taxes on gambling profits at this time.
Articles According to a press release by the local group Responsible Cruising in Alaska, “…Ballot Measure 2 was drafted three years ago after citizens were unable to get the Alaska Legislature to pass reasonable water pollution and taxation rules on the industry that brings nearly 1 million passengers plus crew to Alaska every summer.
Read the L.A. Times article about Alaska’s citizen initiative, Ballot Measure 2.
Back to top of page.
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ARIZONA
Arizona Voter Reward Act (Proposition 200)
Initiative Objective: This proposed law would establish a voter reward random drawing every two years with a first prize of one million dollars or more for the purpose of increasing voter participation. Voters who cast ballots in primary and general elections would be eligible to win. The money would come from the Arizona Lottery and private donations.
Sponsor: Arizonans for Voting Rewards, Mark Osterloh, Chairman
Status: On Ballot (Proposition 200)
Full Text: I-01-2006
Article: “Voting for dollars?” USA Today (editorial) July 17, 2006
Read the New York Times article: Randal C. Archibold, “Arizona Ballot Could Become Lottery Ticket,” New York Times, July 17, 2006.
Back to top of page.
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ARKANSAS
Constitutional Amendment To Permit Charitable Bingo
Referendum Objective: A constitutional amendment providing that bingo and raffles, if conducted by authorized organizations defined as nonprofit religious, educational, veterans, fraternal, service, civic, medical, volunteer rescue, volunteer fire, and volunteer police organizations, shall not be constitutionally prohibited as a lottery, provided the organization has been in existence five years and net receipts are used only for charitable, religious, or philanthropic purposes.
Sponsor: Legislature
Status: On Ballot (Constitutional Amendment No. 1)
Full Text: 2006 Proposed Constitutional Amendment 1 (pdf)
Measures Arkansas might see again in the near future:
FAILED AMENDMENT:
An amendment to the Arkansas Constitution creating the Arkansas Commission on Lotteries and Wagering and Investing.
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Ormond (D-Morrilton)
Status: Failed to Make 2006 Ballot
Full Text: Arkansas Commission on Lotteries and Wagering Amendment (pdf)
ABANDONED AMENDMENT:
An amendment to the Arkansas Constitution to establish a state lottery; to allow Arkansas Resorts & Hotels, Inc. to own and operate seven casino gaming establishments.
Sponsor: Michael Wasserman, Gainsville, TX and Arkansas AFL-CIO
Status: Abandoned
Full Text: An Amendment to Establish a State Lottery (pdf)
Back to top of page.
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NEBRASKA
Keno Video Slots Initiative
Initiative Objective: To authorize video keno machines under the existing Nebraska County and City Lottery Act.
Sponsor: Nebraskans for Video Keno
Status: On Ballot
Full Text: Papillion Keno Initiative (pdf)
Citizens need to remember that availability and accessibility of more gambling will lead to more addiction. Gambling addiction and desperation lead to multiple destructive behaviors. Read more …
Ballot measures Nebraska might see in the future:
Three-Casino Initiative (Tribal) – Appeal Pending / Failed
Initiative Objective: To amend the Nebraska Constitution to permit up to three state-authorized, regulated, and licensed casinos, with no more than one in any of our three existing congressional districts.
Sponsor: Committee for Better Schools and More Jobs in Nebraska, Inc., Political Insight, Jackson, MS, and Boyd Gaming, Las Vegas, NV
Status: Judge ruled against
Full Text: committee for better schools and more jobs in Nebraska, inc. amendment (pdf)
Three Nebraska Indian tribes, the Omaha, Santee Sioux and Winnebago, are petitioning for casino gambling in the state.
Nebraska Gaming Control Board
Initiative Objective: To create the Nebraska Gaming Control Board, consisting of seven members, to license and regulate state authorized casino gambling in this State.
Sponsor: Committee for Better Schools and More Jobs in Nebraska, Inc., Political
Insight, Jackson, MS, and Boyd Gaming, Las Vegas, NV
Status: Denied Ballot Status by Secretary of State - Appeal Pending
Full Text: committee for better schools and more jobs in Nebraska, inc. initiative two of two (pdf)
bill clark