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Friday, July 10, 2009
Luckie hosting discussion on library funding
State Rep. Clayton Luckie, D-Dayton, will visit the Dayton Metro Library on Thursday, July 16, at 2 p.m. for a town hall meeting on funding cuts proposed by Gov. Ted Strickland.
The meeting will take place in the Main Library auditorium, 215 E. Third Street in downtown Dayton, and is free and open to the public.
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Lebanon Raceway may move to get slots
The Lebanon Raceway has called the Warren County fairgrounds home for more than 50 years but the horse racing operation may move to a new place — possibly in Montgomery County — so that slot machines can be added, according to government officials.
Gov. Ted Strickland and legislative leaders agreed Friday June 10 to a budget deal that calls for adding video lottery terminals at Ohio’s seven racetracks. The move is expected to raise $933 million over two years and help close a $3.2 billion hole in the $54 billion, two-year budget.
But a snag is that Warren County officials oppose slot machines being added at the privately-owned Lebanon Raceway, which sits on county-owned land.
State Rep. Clayton Luckie, D-Dayton, said he has been working on a plan to move the Lebanon Raceway to Montgomery County.
Owners of the raceway could not be reached for comment.
Warren County Commissioner Pat South said she doesn’t mind slots in the county, just not on the fairgrounds. Her fellow commissioner, Mike Kilburn, has said he opposes bringing slots to Warren County.
Meanwhile, Montgomery County commissioners sent a letter June 30 to Strickland, urging him to allow the state’s seven largest urban areas to add slot machines too. Strickland’s chief of staff, John Haseley, called Montgomery County commissioners on Thursday to see if they were still in favor of slot machines, County Commissioner Deborah Lieberman said.
“I think it could help economically and it would capture some of the money traveling out of stat in different directions right now,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Dan Foley.
“If Warren County doesn’t want (the slots), we’d embrace it,” said Lieberman.
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State budget deal includes slots
State leaders reached a compromise deal on Friday, July 10, on the $54 billion, two-year state budget that includes adding slot machines at racetracks.
Gov. Ted Strickland will issue an executive order telling the Ohio Lottery director to establish video lottery terminals at seven racetracks. Lawmakers will pass supporting legislative language in the budget bill.
“I am pleased that we have been able to work through this difficult budget and to provide solutions that will help move Ohio forward. By reaching a bipartisan compromise on the implementation of video lottery terminals to limited locations where gambling already occurs, we will provide a balanced, two-year state operating budget,” House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, said in a press release.
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State budget deal in the works?
Democrats and Republicans appear to be getting closer to striking a deal on the state budget.
“I would just say that over the past few days a lot of progress has been made toward a conclusion,” said state Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering.
The state is operating on the second of two one-week interim budgets since the new fiscal year started July 1 while state leaders fight over how to make up a projected $3.2 billion revenue shortfall.
Gov. Ted Strickland proposed $2.4 billion in spending cuts and putting slot machines at Ohio’s seven horse racetracks to raise $933 million for K-12 education. Senate Republicans, however, have balked at the plan to expand gambling without a vote of the people.
