Education groups fight Michigan ballot proposal

Tim Martin

Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2004 | 8:50 a.m.

LANSING, Mich. -- Supporters and opponents of a ballot proposal that would require new gambling ventures in the state to get voter approval held separate news conferences Monday to debate whether the proposal would hurt school funding.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm, concerned about Proposal 1's possible impact on school funding, has taped a television spot in opposition to the measure, spokeswoman Liz Boyd said later Monday.

"Voters can expect to hear from the governor on this issue," Boyd said.

Representatives of education groups say Proposal 1 could cut into Michigan Lottery revenue that helps pay for public schools, a charge supporters of the ballot measure say is based on opinion and conjecture rather than facts.

If approved, Proposal 1 would require most new gambling operations -- except American Indian casinos and Detroit's three existing casinos -- to get voter approval at the state and local level. Detroit's three casinos already have been approved by voters; Indian casinos are regulated by federal rather than state law.

If Proposal 1 passes on Nov. 2, it would be retroactive to Jan. 1. It was put on the ballot after horse racing tracks pushed to add slot machines to attract more people to the tracks.

"You really need to look at the full impact of this ballot proposal," said David Hecker of the Michigan Federation of Teachers & School-Related Personnel, which opposes the proposal. "It is very likely to take millions of dollars away from the education of our children."

Among the other opposition groups represented at Monday's news conference were the Michigan Education Association, Michigan School Business Officials and the Michigan Parent Teacher Student Association.

Tom Watkins, state superintendent of public schools, intends to ask the state Board of Education to take a stance against Proposal 1 at a meeting Tuesday in Grand Rapids.

Supporters of Proposal 1 say the education groups have no basis to say that public schools would lose money because of the initiative.

"In politics, people tell you it's raining when it's really not," said Gary Wolfram, a Hillsdale College political economy professor who spoke at a pro-Proposal 1 press conference Monday.

All lottery profits -- about $586 million last year -- go to public K-12 education. Lottery money accounts for about 5 percent of school funding.

Proposal 1 would prevent the lottery from adding slot machines or other games with electronic, player-operated devices without voter approval at the state and local levels. Critics of Proposal 1 say that would make it difficult for the lottery to compete with other gambling entities in the state.

But supporters of Proposal 1 say lottery games approved before this year and several types of new games would still be allowed under the constitutional amendment.