Topeka Capital-Journal, The: Senator wants fewer, smaller sites, Kansans to vote

A key Senate Republican has offered a downscale alternative to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' gambling plan, and she wants Kansans to vote on it.

Senate Majority Leader Lana Oleen, of Manhattan, on Monday introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to create a major casino in Wyandotte County and as many as four smaller casinos elsewhere in the state. Should the proposal pass both the House and Senate on two-thirds majority votes, it would go on the statewide ballot in the November election.

The proposal came days after the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee tacked on a provision to Sebelius' plan that would allow video gambling machines in 122 bowling alleys and possibly other family-oriented recreational and entertainment businesses statewide. The committee also increased the number of gambling machines the Democratic governor would make available to the state's five pari- mutuel race tracks from 2,500 to 4,000.

Oleen said changes to the governor's plan would make gambling machines available in as many as 800 locations.

"It has been distorted and grown in the committee process," Oleen said.

In its original form, the governor's plan called for creation of as many as five destination casinos, which would be designed to draw gamblers from outside the state and would offer table games such as blackjack and craps as well as video gaming terminals. The casinos would be owned and operated by the state. In addition to adding gambling machines to dog- and horse-racing tracks, Sebelius also proposed allowing as many as five video slot, poker and blackjack machines to each of the state's 240 veteran's and fraternal clubs.

Oleen's version calls for only one destination casino and four regional casinos that would be limited to 400 gambling machines. All would be privately owned.

"I don't feel real comfortable with the state promoting gambling as its public policy agenda to raise dollars," Oleen said.

The proposal also differs drastically from Sebelius' plan in that it wouldn't expand gambling to tracks and veteran's and fraternal clubs. Instead, Oleen would direct 10 percent of casino revenue to the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs and 4 percent to a development fund for horse and greyhound breeders.

Oleen didn't have an estimate on the amount of revenue her proposal would generate.

The plan drew a mixed review from Matt All, Sebelius' general counsel and a key architect of her plan.

"I think we should always be careful about what we put in the constitution," he said. "If we put things in it that are too detailed, they're hard to take out. On the other hand, we agree with her proposal to build a destination casino in Wyandotte County. We believe that's a step in the right direction."

THE IMPACT

Kansans would vote on whether to expand gambling under a proposal by Senate Majority Leader Lana Oleen, R-Manhattan.

Ric Anderson can be reached at ric.anderson@cjonline.com or (785) 296-3005.