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Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Second lawsuit to be filed against slots plan; Sen. Voinovich to lend support
A second lawsuit will be filed aimed at halting Ohio’s video slots-at-the-racetracks plan, the Ohio Roundtable announced on Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The group will unveil the lawsuit at a Thursday press conference but said in a press release it will be aimed at the “unconstitutional expansion of the Ohio Lottery into the commercial use of slot machines at Ohio’s racetracks.”
U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, a former governor and outspoken opponent of gambling, is expected to attend the press conference, the release said.
One focus of the lawsuit, expected to be filed in the Ohio Supreme Court, is on the legislature’s action authorizing the Ohio Lottery Commission to pass regulations to operate the slot machines as a means of balancing the state budget, the release said.
“Since 1990 over 10 million votes have been cast against casino gambling in Ohio,” David Zanotti, president and CEO of the Ohio Roundtable said in a press release. “The governor has cast aside all those votes and the results of four legal elections.”
Ohio voters have rejected gambling ballot proposals four times since 1990 but Strickland and the legislature implemented the video slots plan without a vote of the people.
Announcement of the lawsuit came on the same day that the Ohio Supreme Court held oral arguments on the first lawsuit challenging the slots’ plan. That lawsuit asked the court to give LetOhioVote.org permission to begin a petition drive to put the slots’ plan before voters in November 2010.
The plan to put 17,500 video slot machines at Ohio’s seven racetracks is supposed to raise $933 million over two years to help balance the state budget.
Gov. Ted Strickland’s spokeswoman Amanda Wurst had this e-mail reaction to the second lawsuit:
“The administration is focused on the successful implementation of video lottery terminals to fund education and meet the Constitutional obligation to balance the budget without increasing taxes on Ohioans.
“The General Assembly authorized VLTs as an activity of the constitutionally-established Ohio Lottery. While this suit is not unexpected, it is unfortunate that taxpayer resources will be squandered just to prove something we already know to be true.”
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GOP lawmakers bash Dems’ energy bill; pitch their plan
U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester., on Wednesday, Sept. 2, led a Republican charge against the “cap and trade” energy legislation passed by the House in June with mostly Democratic support.
At a GOP-sponsored hearing at the Ohio State University, Boehner, R-West Chester, predicted that if H.R. 2454 becomes law AK Steel, located in his district, “would be out of business.”
Reps. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, Pat Tiberi, R-Columbus, Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green and Rep. Mike Pence, R-Indian, also participated in the hearing which included presentations from Michael Carey, president of the Ohio Coal Association, Harry Alford, president of the National Black Chamber of Commerce and other critics of the bill.
Pence said the bill amounted to an economic “declaration of war” against Ohio, Indiana and other coal-dependent midwest states by liberals in the House.
There were no supporters at the hearing but about 40 critics carrying signs with messages such as “Paid for by Big Oil” demonstrated in front of the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, site of the hearing. Four protesters were dressed as cave women, a reference to what they said were the views Boehner and the others held on climate change and energy
“I think it’s very important that we get renewable sources of energy,” said protester Eriyah Flynn, 37, formerly stationed in the Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. She was not one of the cave women.
The House-passed legislation would require utility plants to have emission permits for every ton of carbon dioxide they produce. Plants that reduced emissions could sell permits to others. The bill is aimed at reducing global warming, increasing energy efficiency, using more clean energy sources and creating clean energy jobs.
Boehner and others said the results would be higher energy costs, particularly in the the midwest. They touted their own “American Energy Act” which would include lifting some drilling restrictions, licensing 100 new nuclear reactors over 20 years and using money from expanded domestic energy exploration to support renewable and alternative energy sources.
The Senate is expected to take up the issue this fall.
