{"id":139732,"date":"2020-06-25T01:42:48","date_gmt":"2020-06-25T08:42:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=139732"},"modified":"2020-06-25T09:29:06","modified_gmt":"2020-06-25T16:29:06","slug":"july-2-is-signature-deadline-to-authorize-nebraska-casino-vote-in-november","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/july-2-is-signature-deadline-to-authorize-nebraska-casino-vote-in-november\/","title":{"rendered":"Signature Deadline Approaching to Authorize Nebraska Casino Vote in November"},"content":{"rendered":"

Supporters and opponents of legal gaming in Nebraska are facing off for another round in the state\u2019s ongoing debate over gambling expansion. Proponents need to collect some 130,000 signatures from Nebraska residents by July 2 to get the issue before the state\u2019s residents in November.<\/p>\n

\"nebraska
Nebraska, whose state capitol in Lincoln is pictured above, may once again face a political struggle over gambling expansion. (Image: Encircle Photos\/Richard F. Ebert)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The effort is well underway, organized by a locally based political group, called Keep the Money in Nebraska. Drew Niehaus, a spokesman, said the group is circulating three ballot initiatives all related to legalizing casino gaming in the state.<\/p>\n

The first is a proposed amendment to the state\u2019s constitution that would legalize games of chance at the state\u2019s licensed horse racing tracks,\u201d Niehaus told Casino.org<\/em>. “The other two petitions deal with the statutory side of things by establishing a regulatory body and a tax structure.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mike Newlin, CEO of Omaha Exposition and Racing and general manager of Horsemen\u2019s Park, told KPTM, a local TV station, that the casinos would be located at currently operating racetracks in Omaha, Lincoln, Columbus, Hastings, Grand Island, and South Sioux City.<\/p>\n

Property Tax Relief Promises<\/h2>\n

Under their plan, the state would put a tax on gross gambling revenue (GGR). As envisioned, the state would impose a 20 percent tax on gaming revenues, \u201cwhich would keep a conservatively estimated $65 million in tax money here in Nebraska annually,\u201d Niehaus said.<\/p>\n

Some 70 percent of the taxable revenue would be earmarked for property tax relief. Currently, Nebraska has the eighth-highest property taxes in the US, according to a recent report cited by the group.<\/p>\n

The ballot organizers also want fewer state residents traveling out of state to gamble. With added gambling in Nebraska, the state could benefit.<\/p>\n

Every state that borders Nebraska has legalized casino gaming,\u201d Niehaus said. \u201cBased on a recent economic impact study, we know Nebraska is exporting millions of dollars in tax revenue each year.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Neihaus appears confident the group will get the required number of signatures \u2014 about 130,000 \u2014 for the ballot.\u00a0He declined to specify last week how many signatures were collected so far. But he noted, \u201cThere is lag time between the collectors turning them in and our internal validation process.”<\/p>\n

“Based on the number of signatures we\u2019re seeing come in, all signs point toward the initiatives being on the ballot this fall,\u201d Neihaus added.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He points out that statewide polls show \u201ca solid majority of Nebraskans want the opportunity to gamble in their home state and to reap the benefits that come with a new source of tax revenue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opponents Ready for Fight<\/h2>\n

But Pat Loontjer, executive director of the Nebraska-based anti-gambling group Don\u2019t Gamble with the Good Life is also confident the push for gambling will be defeated.<\/p>\n

\u201cAttempts to change Nebraska’s constitution to allow casinos has been tried many times and always fails,\u201d Loontjer told Casino.org<\/em> in an emailed statement. \u201cThe voters appreciate the \u2018Good Life\u2019 and see no reason to change it to the \u2018Gambling Life.\u2019<\/p>\n

If they do succeed in getting the required number of signatures and if they are legal, then we will respond with a huge statewide grassroots effort to inform the voters and stop them at the polls in November,\u201d Loontjer said. \u201cIt is a lot of work and we will be outspent by at least 25 times, but we’ve done it before, and we will do it again.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Loontjer further claims that previously \u201cMany, many of the signatures were collected by lying to the voters that they were signing for property tax relief, which is not true. Also, they were told that casinos would only be at the racetracks — another lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Loontjer also warns if the state constitution is changed, \u201cIt would open the state for widespread Indian casinos.\u201d Last year, Casino.org<\/em> reported the Winnebago Tribe<\/a> of Nebraska\u2019s economic development unit Ho-Chunk Inc. was fully bankrolling Keep the Money in Nebraska.<\/p>\n

Nebraska is home to five small tribal casinos that offer only Class I and II gaming — not slot machines and table games. But in adjacent Iowa, there are 19 commercial casinos and four Native American venues that offer slots, table games, and sports betting<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Supporters and opponents of legal gaming in Nebraska are facing off for another round in the state\u2019s ongoing debate over gambling expansion. Proponents need to collect some 130,000 signatures from Nebraska residents by July 2 to get the issue before the state\u2019s residents in November. The effort is well underway, organized by a locally based […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":139733,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,61],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nJuly 2 Is Deadline to Authorize Nebraska Casino Vote in November<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Proponents need to collect some 130,000 signatures from Nebraska residents by July 2 to get the issue before voters in November. Opponents will fight..\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"July 2 Is Deadline to Authorize Nebraska Casino Vote in November\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Proponents need to collect some 130,000 signatures from Nebraska residents by July 2 to get the issue before voters in November. 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Ed is an award-winning journalist with credits ranging from the Associated Press to American Lawyer Media. Ed joined the Casino.org news team in 2019 after decades of experience in legal reporting. His past reporting and editing assignments include Cowles Business Media, Columbia University Press, the Connecticut Post, and Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc. Besides the law and its application to the gaming industry, Ed\u2019s areas of expertise span business, politics, education, and state and local government. Ed holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut and master\u2019s degrees from Harvard and Yale. His professional awards include recognition from the New England Press Association and New England AP News Executives. Ed currently resides in Connecticut, where he enjoys photography and bowling in his spare time. 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