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.