Casino Resolution Press Conference

State Rep. Clyde Evans issued the following statement at a news conference held in front of the Ohio Statehouse: “I am here today to propose solutions to the damaging provisions of the constitutional amendment that was passed yesterday by the people of the great state of Ohio. On November 3, 2009, the citizens of Ohio made it clear that they want casinos in this state. During a time of economic duress, companies outside of Ohio gave our voters only one, very poorly constructed option—this constitutional amendment, when enacted will correct some of the inequities. I stand before you today with a solution that will not change in anyway the casino services that Ohioans voted for yesterday. It will only provide our friends and families with the fairness that they deserve. This constitutional amendment will: --Change the percentage that the state will receive to 60 percent; --Divert one half of the usage to the GRF education budget and the other half to scholarship money based on need to students who matriculate in career schools, private four year, regionally accredited institutions, and community and technical colleges. Career, community and technical colleges will play a basic roll in our 21st Century education. We can educate less expensively by encouraging students to attend private institutions. --Convert the rule making responsibilities to the Lottery Commission; --Select the casino managers through a competitive bid process conducted by the Lottery Commission; and --Suspend the locations of the casinos until they can be given further consideration. Except for the four locations approved yesterday, casinos will not be expanded into locations without a vote of the people in the county. I will be open to working with all parties, but I am adamant that only one special interest group will benefit, and that group will be the people of the great state of Ohio.” Language of the Proposed Joint Resolution: Proposing to amend Section 6 of Article XV of the Constitution of the State of Ohio to require the General Assembly to allow casino facilities at locations that the General Assembly designates, to require that license for these casino facilities be awarded by competitive bidding by the State Lottery Commission, to require voter approval of the operation of a casino facility in the county of municipal corporation in which the casino facility is located, to require that a tax of sixty percent be levied and collected by the state on all gross casino revenue receive by each casino facility operator, and to require that half of the proceeds of this tax be used solely for the support of elementary, secondary, vocational, special education programs and half to be used solely for students attending career colleges, community, technical and private regionally accredited colleges and schools as determined in appropriations made by the General Assembly.