Wednesday, November 08, 2006

A plan to allow slot machines in Ohio and competing bans on smoking in
public dominated statewide ballot questions on Tuesday. Another statewide
issue asked voters to raise the minimum wage by $1.70 to $6.85 an hour. The
gambling proposal, state Issue 3, would place up to 31,000 slot machines at
Ohio's seven horse-racing tracks and two free-standing parlors in downtown
Cleveland. A portion of the revenue would go to eligible public school
students attending in-state colleges and universities. It was the third
proposal since 1990 to expand gambling in Ohio, where only the lottery and
games for charity such as bingo are state-sanctioned. State Issue 5 would
ban smoking in most public buildings, while Issue 4 would exempt places
including bars, bowling alleys, bingo halls and racetracks. Except Issue 5,
the proposals would amend the Ohio Constitution. If voters pass both smoking
issues, the less restrictive one would prevail because it would be an
amendment instead of a change in state law. Issue 4 also would eliminate 21
local smoking bans.