Ohio Lawmakers Choose Interim Budget, Extend Gambling Talks

The main debate over the new budget in Ohio centers around gambling. Whether or not to allow state racetracks to offer video gambling has lawmakers puzzled, but they agreed to continue the discussions.

On Monday, lawmakers agreed on an interim budget and also agreed to extend their session by another week. The debate has become heated in the past week, and cooler heads prevailed on Monday.

"The interim budget and the extra week will give lawmakers a chance to cool down," said observer Travis Hendle, "both sides have become extremely hostile in the gambling battle, and they needed time to let it go and start negotiating again."

Expanded gambling proponents, the likes of which include Governor Steve Strickland, believe that video gambling is necessary to help out the struggling tracks. It would also provide a major boost in revenue to the state.

Opponents, however, have argued that people of Ohio have voted several times on the casino gambling issue, and have turned it down each time. They claim that the legislature should not take the issue into their own hands.

Although it is true that residents in Ohio have denied gambling in the past, there is growing support for casinos. A group that is trying to bring four casinos to Ohio recently turned in over 800,000 signatures, which represented every county in the state, to try and get their gambling initiative back on the ballot in November.

June 30, 2009
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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