Anti-gambling group pressures legislators

Scott Bauer

Wednesday, April 14, 2004 | 8:54 a.m.

LINCOLN, Neb. -- An anti-gambling group wants state senators to sign a pledge to oppose legalization of casino and slot machine gambling.

Gambling With the Good Life distributed a letter to all 49 senators on Tuesday asking them to sign a pledge "to actively oppose any ballot proposal to remove Nebraska's constitutional barrier against casino and slot machine gambling."

The senators are also asked to pledge to speak out publicly against all gambling expansion ballot proposals.

At least 47 senators should sign the pledge, said Gambling With the Good Life director Pat Loontjer, because nearly all of them have said publicly they would oppose any expanded gambling ballot measure even if they vote in favor of the Legislature's proposal.

"If you're personally not in favor of it, then sign the pledge and work with us not to change the constitution," Loontjer said.

Gambling opponent Sen. Adrian Smith of Gering said several senators have told him they would vote to pass an expanded gambling measure in the Legislature, but would also campaign against it or any other ballot measure.

Some backers of the Legislature's plan have said they want to offer an alternative to the petition being circulated by a coalition called Keep the Money in Nebraska.

The initiative would legalize two casinos in Omaha and up to 4,900 slot machines in bars, keno parlors and horse race tracks across the state. The coalition includes Coast Casinos of Las Vegas, Nebraska's horse racing industry, keno operators and local communities.

Signatures are due July 2.

The Legislature's proposal (LR11CA), which is one vote away from passage, would allow for up to two casinos anywhere in the state. It says nothing about legalizing slot machines outside of casinos. If approved, the measure would appear for voters to consider on the Nov. 2 ballot.

Lincoln Sen. DiAnna Schimek, a chief backer of the Legislature's plan, said distributing a pledge was a reasonable strategy for gambling opponents to take.

"I don't know how well it will sit with the Legislature, since we haven't finished with the gambling issue," she said.

It will take 30 votes to put the Legislature's proposal on the ballot. Schimek said 30 senators signed a letter saying they would support it, so she is hopeful those commitments will stick when it comes up for passage.

While some senators are opposed to expanded gambling, signing a pledge to actively oppose it may be more than some lawmakers are willing to do, Smith said.

Omaha Sen. Mark Quandahl said he had not yet seen the pledge, but he did not think it would be well-received.

"My gut feeling is I can't imagine anybody would want to sign such a pledge," he said. "It presupposes an actuality -- a petition on the ballot -- that hasn't happened."