Thursday, April 05, 2007

Sedgwick County residents will get the chance to vote on whether they want a
casino in a special election Aug. 7. Voters will be asked if they approve of
having a destination casino in Sedgwick County and allowing slots at Wichita
Greyhound Park. Sedgwick County commissioners agreed Tuesday that the best
day to hold a special election would be the first Tuesday in August. During
even-numbered years, it is a primary election day. "People are familiar with
that day," Commissioner Tim Norton said. The special election will cost the
county about $118,840. Voters can cast ballots in advance, in person or by
mail. Meanwhile, legislators continued their efforts Tuesday to deny Sumner
County residents a chance to vote on a casino if Sedgwick County voters
reject it, as the current bill allows. Rep. Vincent Wetta, D-Wellington,
said Sumner County would get extra money for its trouble because of an
agreement he made with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. "I've made a deal with the
governor -- Sumner County is out," he said. "We're going to get a little
more than the surrounding counties. It would be an ongoing, higher
percentage for Sumner County because of the work we've done and we were
taken out after it passed." Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran declined to
comment other than to say there have been ongoing discussions with
legislators tied to gambling. Sebelius has said she will sign a bill passed
last week to allow casinos in Ford County, Wyandotte County, southeast and
south-central Kansas and up to 2,800 slot machines at dog and horse tracks
in Kansas City, Park City and Frontenac. Under that bill, Sumner County
would receive an estimated $2 million a year in revenue if it didn't get a
casino, and more if it did. Legislators have talked about drafting a
"trailer bill" to fix technical errors in the bill heading to Sebelius. Sen.
Terry Bruce, R-Hutchinson, is leading efforts to eliminate Sumner County,
suggesting it is destined to lose any competition with Sedgwick for a
casino.

He would give each of the six counties surrounding Sedgwick -- Butler,
Cowley, Harvey, Kingman, Reno and Sumner -- about $500,000 annually when the
casino and slots are in full operation.

Minority Leader Dennis McKinney, D-Greensburg, said Sebelius told House
Democrats that without assurances that Sumner County eventually would be
removed, the gambling bill wouldn't have passed the Senate.

McKinney said Sumner County might receive about $1.5 million a year under a
trailer bill, but added, "All those numbers are still floating."